Junior Varsity
by tonks1
Summary: Normalcy has its own headaches. An expose of the life of the children brought together by their parent's Fast and Furious lifestyle. Last chapter added Feb 10, 2013.
1. Intro & Simple Lineage

Introduction Feb. 11, 2011

I would like to thank tanya2Byour21, Sicfen (who's stories I read all the time), LBCCowgirl, tfatfreak207, and Critic Reviewer for their reviews. I really spent a lot of time mulling over your comments and it prodded me to complete this massive cleanup effort. I would also like to thank those who have read but not commented. You know who you are and I hope you have enjoyed this story too.

I started writing this story when I was unemployed as a way to feel useful while I sat at home all day, waiting between applications and job interviews. It seems that when I started working again, this fell on the terminal hold pile and I apologize for that.

I really love what I have written. I didn't know where it was going at first but somehow, this has become the best thing I have written to date. That is why I am going to repost it so the chapters are in a chronological order. I am also going to post it the way it is meant to be read which is to say, it truly is for mature audiences. Reading beyond this point means that at some point in this story you may be faced with more descriptive sex scenes than the previous version.

I do want to take the time to acknowledge Critic Reviewer's comments about the chapter "The Glass Wall". You will notice that I left it exactly the way it was before. To me, it's an accurate portrayal of Gigi at that point in her life: erratic, confused, living in the past, and letting that past effect her future. I think it would be easy to remove all the flashbacks, sticking the history at the beginning where it would fit (with extra detailing of course), but it would remove my intention and so I continue weeks later to debate the decision. For now, it will stay 'as is' but maybe, once I polish off the end, if you decide to comment on it and find that it still needs work, I will fix it in an alternate way.

Till then, I leave you with the revised version of "Junior Varsity". Happy reading!

**The Fast and the Furious: Junior Varsity**

The premise of this story is that everyone grew up. They had families, got lives, and these kids oddly enough did not go off the farm. Most of the cast from the original The Fast and the Furious are in here but they take on secondary roles to this next generation. The story may jump throughout a timeline. Different characters have different events stand out for them during this saga and they are related to the other characters in varying ways. That is why I have included a simple lineage below to help. Please note that it may provide spoilers to some of the story (but I don't think it takes away from reading the details). Lives intertwine so you should see a fair number of people you recognize.

Be warned: after the first movie I took some liberties as to how people turned out and where they were. This extends previous works I've written in an odd way (in other words, some characters are still dealing with the decisions of their past).

Attention: this story can be a bit risqué depending on who the story is focused on at the time. So by reading the story you are honoring an understanding that you are risking your virtual virtue. No crying about it later.

And in case anyone was confused: No! I do not own The Fast and the Furious, any of the movies in the franchise, or any of those recognizable characters. I haven't made a cent and will continue not to make one. I am thankful I am still allowed to play around with the characters and their universe.

* * *

A simple lineage to keep you up to date on who's really related to who…

1. Dominic Toretto aka Dom and Leticia Ortiz aka Letty (never married) have two children

Toretto Jr. aka Junior (has three children: two boys with Lena and one girl with Gigi)

i. Dominic Toretto III aka Nic

ii. Giovanni Toretto aka Gio

iii. Iliana Toretto aka Li Li

b. Dominique Ortiz-Toretto aka Nikki

2. Han Jiao (never married) has one daughter with Noël

a. Georgeanne Jiao aka Gigi who eventually marries Junior and has a daughter

Toretto

3. Mia O'Connor (formerly Toretto & Dom's sister) and Brian O'Connor (married) twin sons and a daughter

a. Anthony O'Connor aka Tony (1st twin) marries Alicia

b. Ryan O'Connor (2nd twin)

c. Bria O'Connor aka Bree marries Jack

4. Vince Simmons (never marries) has a son mother unknown and a daughter with Veronica aka Ronnie

a. Casche Simmons marries Summer and has a daughter

i. Sadie

b. Trisha Harris (formerly Simmons) aka Trix marries Cory Harris who already has two boys

Leon Grant and Jenna Grant (married) have one son

a. Jessie Grant (named after Jesse, the mad scientist)


	2. The UN Poster Child

**Disclaimer: **Don't own, don't sue. Thanks!

**The U.N. Poster Child of Nontraditional Extended Family**

"Give it back!"

"No. I want to play with it."

"Come on," the first boy whined, "give it!"

"No," the second boy repeated, holding the toy away from the hands grasping at it.

"Stop being a jerk. It's mine!"

"I said," the second boy pushed the first to the ground, "no."

The first kid looked at his brother, tears filling his eyes. He didn't want to cry, not now. But the fall had hurt. Instead he picked himself up and moved to the picnic table, placing his head dejectedly on his aunt's shoulder. She started rubbing his back gently, making the tears fall. Great now he was going to get ragged on too.

"Look at the water factory. You're such a sissy," his brother called out mockingly, shoving the toy into his back. It dropped to the ground when he didn't turn around. He watched his brother start to walk around the table, most likely to sit opposite them so he could continue the taunting.

But the quick arm that reached out to grab the second boy's shirt stopped his progress to the chairs opposite his crying sibling. The unexpected grab made him gasp in surprise. He almost went cross-eyed looking at the fist now bunched in the middle of his chest, wrapped in his shirt, pulling him close to his father's face.

"Nic I'm getting tired of telling you to cut the shit," his father told him in a low menacing voice. This was going to be the last warning before he started spankings. Ass still smarting from yesterday's run-in with his old man's hand, Nic gave a slow nod. Just as quickly as he'd been caught he was released. Nic straightened his shirt then looked down the table at his little brother. Guess he should apologize before he got made to do it. He raised his eyes to the heavens.

"I'm sorry Gio," he said without a hint of remorse. His father tapped a finger in his chest. Nic made eye contact then continued, "for pushing you, and taking your G.I. Joe, and for calling you names." Nic shrugged at his father. He wasn't apologizing for anything else. But his additions seemed to suffice.

"Go bother someone else for a while," his father dismissed him. He went to join the older men standing near the grill, far out of his father's reach.

"And you, come here," Gio was summoned. He shuffled tentatively towards his father. He didn't think he'd be able to keep it together if his dad grabbed him like he'd done Nic. Normally he wasn't too scary. Standing in front of his dad when he _was_ angry was always scary. Normally he looked a lot like grandpa Dom: solid, dependable, his deep voice and body builder physique hiding how much fun he could be. However because of his gigantic muscles he was the giver of powerful spankings when he was irritated. He shouldn't have made such a stink about the G.I. Joe. Then maybe dad wouldn't be so angry right now.

"Next time he pushes you, hit his punk ass back," his father told him, looking at him square in the eye.

"Really?" Gio's voice was full of childlike wonder. This was as unexpected as the grab had been earlier.

"Yeah. You're four now. Time to start sticking up for yourself," he replied, turning Gio and pushing him lightly away. Gio knew he'd been dismissed too.

"Great parenting advice Junior," Nikki called out to her older brother. Dominic Toretto Jr. turned to give his sister one perfectly raised eyebrow. She laughed, "Whatever. Guess this means more trips to the ER."

"It's covered by insurance," he quipped.

"I'm sure if you ask nice, my mom will come fix them up for free," Bria joked.

"There's no lesson in a house call from Aunt Mia," Junior said shaking his head, "The hospital provides character building."

"He means it instills fear," Nikki teased.

"Nope. Builds character, wastes time, and guarantees anxiety. They'll spend the whole time wondering if they'll catch hell when we get home," Junior explained, ticking his points off on his fingers.

"Who's catching hell today?" Tony O'Connor flung himself into the seat next to his sister. Bria rolled her eyes, poking him lightly in the head.

"Uh oh, sounds like Nic," Tony's twin, Ryan, mused, bracketing Bria in between them.

"So where is everybody?" Trix asked.

"You don't know where Casche is Trix?" Ryan called out.

"He's my brother, not a zoo animal. I don't keep him," she fired out before sitting at the head of the table.

"Oh kay," Tony drawled out.

"Vince is inside," she added with less bite. Vincent Simmons was her father. She and her brother never referred to him by anything other than his nickname though.

"Yo Jessie," Nikki called out to their youngest 'cousin'. Jessie Grant walked over to the table, sitting at the other end of the table facing Trix.

"How's it hanging," Junior greeted.

"Low and to the left," Jessie deadpanned. Trix laughed. Bria cleared her throat. He shrugged, "I'm fifteen, perpetually horny, and chock full of attitude. Thanks for asking."

"You're such a wise ass," Junior said evenly. He was amused by his easygoing cousin.

Banter continued to be thrown around for another ten minutes before Gio's gave an ecstatic squeal, running clear across the yard to fling himself into Casche's waiting arms. Casche tickled the boy then grabbed the boy's legs, holding him upside down.

"This is a shakedown. Empty your pockets," Casche growled playfully. Gio's laughing response was infectious, making all of the adults in the yard smile. After a minute or so of interplay, Casche righted the boy, setting him on the ground.

"Kid, you need a job. Your pockets are always empty," Casche told him.

"I got a new action figure with my 'lowance," Gio offered up eagerly, "Wanna see?"

"In a minute." If Casche thought he was keeping his feelings about Georgeanne secret, he was deluding himself. The moment she walked around the corner of the house his entire focus had shifted to her. Georgeanne probably would never notice because she was used to every eye in a place falling on her. But the rest of them could tell in the way he unconsciously oriented himself to be closer to her. It didn't seem to matter to him that she was clearly lesbian. She'd never made any attempt to hide the fact that she loved women as much as the other men at the table. Hell, there'd been a few times when she'd taken home one of their dates after a party.

Gio's smile got wider as he threw his arms around her leg, "Sushi Gigi!"

Her eyes crinkled into a smile to match the sexy one that appeared on her lips, "Shinseki. Shin. Se. Ki."_ Relative._

Gio repeated after her and she leaned down to peck him on the cheek. Still grinning, he went back to play with his toys. Gigi tossed the men manning the grill a more reserved smile and wiggled her fingers at them before moving to join the rest of the group at the table. She sat next to Nikki and Casche came to rest beside Junior, leaving the brother and sister to act as a buffer between them.

"You do realize we're going to need the other table right?" Jessie pointed out to no one in particular.

His revelation had not come as a surprise. It was just a hazard of being a part of this nontraditional family really. To understand, or get thoroughly confused, by how the whole group was bound together, you had to start with the older generation of people, the parents of those sitting at the picnic table in the back of the Toretto house. Dominic Sr. and his insanely long-term girlfriend Leticia Ortiz were passionately in love. That passion had created Dominic Jr. and Dominique Ortiz-Toretto. That passion did not translate into marriage. Dom and Letty's excuse was that they were happier with their freedom, an odd comment coming from two people who'd been together over thirty years.

Junior had really inherited both his parent's passion. At seventeen he'd become a father, making his parents the first in their set to become grandparents. And five years later they still were the only grandparents. Nikki had been thrust into the role of aunt at thirteen, a job that became more important after Lena's death two years ago. At twenty, Junior hadn't been ready to handle two toddlers on his own. So he'd moved back to Casa Toretto, filling Dom and Letty's basement with the sound of Nic and Gio's laughter and tears.

Dom's biological sister, Mia Toretto had been more traditional in her approach to family. She'd married Brian O'Connor then promptly announced that she was pregnant after her honeymoon. The twins, Tony and Ryan were twenty-four, with dark brown curly hair and slightly olive skin. They favored the Toretto half of their heritage so much, it was easy to link them as family. Their sister Bria though, younger by four years was a female version of her father. The blond with her blue eyes and goofy surfer girl smile had made her popular in high school, much to the distress of her older brothers.

But that's where the blood relations ended and the bonds thicker than oil began. Vince had been friends with Dom since third grade. Four decades of friendship created a bond that no one could shake. Vince didn't trust easily, explaining why he'd never married. He had however procreated. His oldest, Casche, showed up in a basket on the Toretto doorstep twenty-three years ago. No one knew who his mom was, or at least if they suspected they never said anything. Vince had moved out to his own place, gruffly trying to raise his son as best he could. When Casche was three Vince had even attempted to provide a mother figure in their household. Trisha's mom had been a Vegas showgirl trying to break into acting. She'd found Casche hard to manage and eagerly left after he cut off a considerable chunk of her hair. Last year, Trisha had shown up on Vince's doorstep fresh after her eighteenth birthday begging for a place to stay. He'd been surprised to find he had another child, but Trix turned out to be a good enough cook for him to keep.

Jessie and his parents Leon and Jenna weren't related to the Toretto's or O'Connors by blood either but Leon had been friends with Dom and the others for over half his life too. There was a period of time that none of them acknowledged though surrounding the death of a close friend to them. Leon had taken the death the hardest since he'd known Jesse the longest. For a while they'd thought he'd never settle down. He was too busy having destructive relationships where he wouldn't get attached to others. It had taken years for him to settle down enough to finally marry Jenna. It also explained why Jessie, their son, was much younger than the rest of his cousins.

It was also around this same period of time that was rarely acknowledged that Dom had into Han Jiao. His surname in Chinese meant cunning, pretty. And he was that. Han never had a problem being in occupations that were illegal. He was always working to keep himself one step ahead of the people around him. Han's mysterious and calm personality made people want to be around him. He was slow to anger, a patient teacher. He wasn't into making excuses when he got his hand caught in the cookie jar. As a general rule he usually found entertainment in any situation he was in, even if it involved being shot at. He never had trouble finding willing companions, the same true for his daughter Georgeanne. Those two lived more like roommates than father and daughter. Georgeanne was the only person who knew him and his secrets. She was the only person he'd allowed to share his mysteries. When they'd moved to LA six years ago for Georgeanne to attend college they'd been welcomed into the family without questions. But six years later the rest of the family couldn't say they knew more than their surface history than anyone else.

"So did we decide where were having this thing?"Bria asked the table.

"Hotel is out. They're booked solid," Tony answered.

"I still think we should do a cruise," Nikki piped up.

"I still see the boys bobbing in the water behind the ship," Junior said shaking his head.

"How about the beach?" Jessie suggested.

"Can we remove the sand?" Trix asked in a mocking tone.

"That sounds like a no," Ryan responded before Jessie could supply a snappy comeback.

"How many people are we planning this for?" Junior had a place in mind but it wouldn't work for more than seventy-five people.

"Two-hundred," Bria told him, shooting his idea down. "Come on, we have everything together but the location. I wanna lock this down so we can get the invites drafted and sent."

The assembled group sat in silence. The party they were planning was for several purposes. For the Toretto's it was acknowledgement of the thirty plus years Dom and Letty had been together. For the O'Connor's it was a twenty-fifth anniversary party for Mia and Brian. For the rest it would be a reunion of sorts. The rest of this extended family was coming in to celebrate for a variety of reasons. Mostly it was because they hadn't all been in the same place at the same time in almost a decade. Georgeanne's cell phone broke their musings.

"So that will be ok? Perfect. I think this makes us even," she smiled her wide seductive smile, "I'll let you know. Thanks."

She looked down at her phone, her eyes smug. "I got a mansion in the hills for two days. It's got a pool, large drive, and is fairly secluded."

"And it's large enough for two-hundred people?" Bria's eyes were wide. Wonders never ceased with Gigi, who nodded.

"What sort of friend let's you borrow their mansion for two days?" Trix's voice was laced with humor.

"I called in a favor," Gigi's tone implied that was all she was going to divulge.

"Erm, any other suggestions?" Bria asked the group. No one had any objections so they decided to go with it. The table disbanded. Tony, Ryan, Junior, Casche, and Jessie went to scrounge up the other table and additional chairs so that nineteen people could sit down to dinner. Bria and Gigi stayed to discuss the address and directions, leaving Trix and Nikki to make themselves useful in the kitchen. Fifteen minutes later, under a flurry of activity the whole family sat down for a barbeque.


	3. Freedom pt 1

**Disclaimer: **Don't own. Don't sue. Thanks!

**Freedom (pt 1)**

"Letty," Dom whispered in her ear, his hand running down her back. She didn't move but he didn't expect her to. She slept so deeply lately. "Letty, come on girl. Time to get up."

Letty gave a muffled groan, "No me molestes." _Don't disturb me._ Dom let his fingers slip between her legs, working not to laugh when she squirmed away from him, "Párate!" _Stop it._

"Come on Letty, we got work to do today." She waved him away as he climbed across her to exit the bed. He was showered and halfway through his breakfast when she stumbled down the stairs. They didn't talk, just ate in comfortable silence till Leon rushed upstairs for his cup of coffee. They were out the door in ten minutes, the garage awaiting their return. And it was a routine day: oil changes, tire rotations, and enough time to tune a nitrous system.

"Hey Dom, feel like going out tonight?" Leon asked later that day during dinner. They hadn't been out in a while, not since Vince moved out with his son a few weeks ago. He looked at Leon who gave him a devilish grin. Aw hell, Leon was talking about the type of fun they'd had a long time ago. It made him remember the parties they had at the fort after racing all night, back when he ran as hard as Leon was still running now with the racer chasers. Dom sighed, tossing a look at Letty who shrugged.

"I'm down if you are," Letty told him. He had known that without asking. Letty was always down with him through whatever. Dom nodded and Leon laughed. Yeah, they could use a night out.

The music was thumping through _El Gato Negro_. They pulled up and Dom felt the memories coming back. He hadn't raced in ages but the respect from the crowd was still there. There were handshakes and pats on the back from the racers and barely concealed appreciative looks from the chasers. Once inside they were approached by Hector who quickly shuffled them to the bar for a drink.

"How we doin' this tonight?" Hector asked over the roar of the music.

"We got to start off with at least a shot of patrón," Leon piped up throwing Letty a big grin. She returned it and Dom could see they we going to be in for a crazy night.

"We're not finishing a bottle tonight," Dom told them lazily and Hector laughed.

"What are you laughin' at?" Letty said punching Hector lightly in the chest.

He held up his arms wide, "No Corona's?"

They all laughed and Dom waved the bartender over, "Four shots of patrón and four Corona's."

"Just checking," Hector teased. The drinks arrived and they raised their shot glasses. "To racing!"

Leon joined in, "To bitches!"

Letty stuck her tongue out at him then added, "To booze."

Dom finished off, "To family." They all drank then started in on their beers. Hector saw his cousin Ignacio and excused himself to greet him. Leon walked off too, most likely to get friendly with a number of the women in the club. Dom felt Letty brush against him to set her empty bottle on the bar.

"Come dance with me," she said before turning to walk into the crowd. Dom downed the last of his beer, letting the bottle join hers. It only took him three strides to catch up with her, the crowd parting for him in deference to both his size and his reputation. His arm shot out to grab her waist and he tugged her gently to him till they were almost touching. He felt her silent laughter that shook her body before she adjusted to rocking in time to the music. Dom felt himself relaxing into her, his fingers lazily tracing the space between her exposed belly button and the hem of her jean skirt. And then Letty's steps faltered, slightly stumbling to one side. It was so uncharacteristic that he bent down to whisper in her ear.

"Babe, you ok?" he breathed in her ear.

She stumbled again then shook her head, "No. I'm super drunk."

He chuckled, "You had two drinks."

"I know, but I'm dizzy," she slurred turning in his arms and then sucking in a deep breath, "and I feel really sick."

Dom looked into her face and saw that she looked overly intoxicated for just having two drinks and he got worried. He quickly searched the crowd for Leon, spotting him talking up a blonde near the bar. Tucking Letty to his side, he helped her through the club, stopping to give Leon a heads up.

"Le, we're going."

Leon took one look at Letty and he frowned, "Hey girl, what did you drink tonight?"

"You don't have to leave Le," she slurred but he was already throwing money on the bar and making his way to the door. They had ridden together and he would leave with them. Dom laid Letty on the back seat where she closed her eyes, then cranked up the car.

"Did someone slip her something?" Leon asked stressed out. No one got that wasted off two drinks, especially not a hard ass like Letty.

"No," Dom said using the rearview mirror shooting a glance to Letty's inert body in the back seat. The return to the house was silent. Dom carried Letty into the house, lying her on the bed. Leon followed moments later with a glass of water and two aspirin.

"Letty girl, get this in ya," Leon told her, placing a hand on her arm to wake her up. She groaned and cracked her eyes open. Leon pushed the pills into her mouth then helped her drink a healthy gulp of water. Standing up he clapped his hands together then gave Dom a lopsided grin. "Well, good luck."

Dom shook his head as Leon left. Yeah, Letty hung over was going to be a pain in the ass. She groaned again and began to carefully undress her. He'd just finished with her skirt when she sat up and ran for the bathroom, making it just in time to throw up. And it was just the beginning. Letty spent the next hour in the bathroom, revisiting everything she's ingested in the last few hours. When she finally graduated to slow shallow breathing, Dom stripped her then followed with his own clothes. He pulled her into the shower, the water cooler than they normally liked but he figured it would help sober her up. When she started to grumble, he let her out but made her brush her teeth. Finally they made it into bed around one am and he rubbed her back until he fell asleep.

Dom couldn't tell right away what woke him up Sunday morning. This was usually a day that they slept late but he noticed that Letty was missing. He laid very still trying to figure out what else had woken him and then he heard it, the faint sound of her retching. This was excessive for two drinks. Walking into the bathroom he watched her brushing her teeth. She looked green. Once she walked past him and laid back down he threw on some clothes and grabbed his cell, the voice on the other end not the one he wanted but welcome just the same.

"Hey Dom, what's up bro?" Brian sounded tired, but they had twin toddlers so it wasn't surprising.

"Is Mia around?"

"Please don't make me get her," Brian begged.

Dom laughed, "Why not?"

"She's dressing the boys for Mass. She's so much better at it than I am."

Dom shook his head, "Have her call me back before you leave alright?"

Brian could hear the slightly stressed note in Dom's voice, "Everything copasetic?"

Before Dom could answer he heard the shouts of his nephews and Mia's stern voice, "Boys! Do not get your clothes dirty, I'm warning you. Who's that?" Brian passed her the phone and Dom heard him mention his name, "Oh God, what's wrong Dom."

"Could you come take a look at Letty?"

"What's wrong with Letty?"

"Nothing too serious. She's just…sick."

"Define sick." Mia countered shrewdly, her medical training showing itself. He quickly explained the situation from the previous night and Letty's sickness this morning. It was quiet for a long moment.

"Keep her hydrated and I'll come see her after Mass." Dom was relieved to hear the humor in Mia's voice. Humor meant that it must not be too serious. He wouldn't question it. Instead he grabbed a glass of water and braved Letty's wrath to make her suck it down. Then he joined Leon on the couch for the start of a race. The O'Connor's turned up around eleven, Ryan and Tony quickly settling in to watch the cars race around the track. Dom knew it would only entertain them for five minutes before they started playing race car drivers. Brian sat in an armchair while Mia waved at Dom and Leon. Dom made to get up from the couch but Mia shook her head.

"Don't get up, wait here." She ran upstairs to check on Letty.

"Vroom Uncle Dom!" Ryan smiled, jumping into his lap.

"You driving yet Ryan?"

Ryan giggled, "No!"

"Why not?" The boy shrugged at his uncle's question. "Aren't you a big boy?"

Ryan giggled again, "Yes!"

"Well be thankful Brian's not trying to teach 'em." Leon teased. Brian rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, you're a law abiding driver now," Dom added, "Shameful. Don't worry little man, we'll teach you." Dom pointed his thumb at Leon and they laughed.

"Being a cop doesn't make me a crappy driver," Brian mused, "We could test that anytime."

Dom grinned, "I expect to."

Mia tramped down the stairs, a huge smile on her face, followed by a scowling Letty. Letty sat on Leon's lap an action that showed how upset she was.

"What's wrong with you?" Dom asked Letty who stared into his eyes.

Mia answered cheerfully, "Nothing that a few months and labor won't cure."

Dom couldn't answer, but Leon put a hand on Letty's stomach. The grin on Leon's face was enormous, "Aww, you all grew up so fast."

* * *

"Hey Lett, could you hand me a torque wrench?" Letty stood up carefully to stretch her hands in front of her, the movements deliberate to give her a chance to gather her patience. Pace leisurely she made her way over to the tool box less than an arm's length away from Dom, riffled through it then handed him the wrench.

"Could you check if we have any spark plugs left in the back?" he asked her without looking up.

Letty ground her teeth together, "You need anything else?"

"Just the plugs."

Letty walked over to a shelf, pulled a box of plugs off the shelf and slapped them in Dom's waiting hand. She took a deep breath then turned to rejoin the dead battery she was disconnecting from Honda. She'd just made it back when she was interrupted again.

"Yo Lett, could you pick up lunch?" Letty wiped her hands on her rag, balled it up and tossed it at Dom.

"Pick up your own God damn lunch!" Silence fell as Leon and Vince gave up the pretense of work to watch the outcome of this latest attempt to get Letty to take it easy. "I can still work around here."

Dom placed his tools carefully into the open toolbox giving himself time to weigh his words, "I wasn't saying you can't."

"Then what's with the orders?"

"I asked for help," Dom hedged but Leon shook his head.

"I'm having a baby. That doesn't mean you have to baby me."

"Letty, it's dangerous in here."

She scoffed, "Not as dangerous as it's gonna be tonight." She grabbed her keys and began to stalk out of the garage to her car, "eff this noise, I'm out."

"Twenty bucks says she'll be back here tomorrow," Leon commented.

Vince scowled at Leon until Dom turned his back, the growled out, "More like this afternoon."

Letty drove to the beach letting the wind blow through her hair. It was irrational. She was four months pregnant. Working in the garage wasn't going to last much longer, even if she could cover up in the boys much larger coveralls. The situation was frustrating though. What would she do for five months? The urge to cringe immediately came up when she thought of helping out at the café, compounded by the sadness that Mia wouldn't be there. Mia's residency at the hospital was necessary and Letty smiled to herself, proud that Mia was becoming the doctor they knew she could be. Rhythmic crashing eventually lulled the thoughts racing through her mind long enough to bring the hunger pains to the forefront. She was always hungry these days. Rather than risk running into Dom she drove directly to the fort to find Leon was already parked in the driveway. They walked in silence into the kitchen, Leon taking a seat as he watched her rummage through the fridge.

"How was the beach?" he asked her. She shrugged and continued to look for appetizing food. Finally she gave up and searched the cabinets. "He's trying." Letty turned to roll her eyes at Leon causing him to laugh. "Ok, ok. Let's go grab some lunch."

Letty's eyes narrowed, "He can pick up…"

"Yeah, I got that. I'm talking about you and me."

Letty nodded and Leon finally felt the storm had passed enough to casually place an arm around her shoulders, leading his best friend out to her car. Letty spent so much time as part of the boys, Leon often had to remind himself and the others that she had female needs too. They drove back out to the beach, stopping at a little taco stand. The food wasn't great, but it was an opportunity for them to get away. Afterwards they walked the boardwalk, pausing to lean against the railing to stare at the ocean. He heard her sigh heavily and knew if he kept quiet for a few more minutes she'd open up to him.

"Le, you miss Jesse?" The question caught him off guard, piercing his heart.

"I never stopped."

Letty nodded, "I understand…it's not the same for us as it was for you though. You two were so close."

"I consider him my little brother. His death is something I will never truly accept." They stood silently for another five minutes before Leon worked up the courage to ask, "Why'd you bring that up?"

"Sometimes I feel guilty. I wonder how we could have protected him, if we hadn't been so wrapped up…" she trailed off and Leon understood. If they hadn't been so wrapped up in feeling invincible, had thought more about the consequences. Perhaps if they had questioned their sanity, their motives. If they had let the fifth job be enough instead of pushing for that sixth.

"It had to happen that way Lett," Leon answered slowly, "we wouldn't know how to be better people without it."

She sighed heavily again, "It scares me. That we'll repeat our mistakes with our kid Le. I haven't been tested like you. I don't know I could handle that kind of loss."

Yeah loss like losing your best friend, your brother. The person you were supposed to take care of at all costs. He turned to her, pulling her into his arms. She turned her face to rest her cheek on his shoulder, the wet tears on her face now blotted by his shirt. "You don't have to repeat old mistakes Lett, none of us do." She sniffed and he hoped she didn't get snot on his shirt, "You can start right now, by taking care of yourself."

Letty pulled back swiftly, punching Leon on the arm. He laughed and she stalked away, "I knew you'd be on his side."

"Lett, come on girl, you know that ain't right," Leon said as he jogged lightly to catch up.

"I can handle work in the garage," she started but he cut across her.

"You can but it can't," Leon said pointing at her stomach. She scowled and he continued while she looked vulnerable, "It's just for a little while."

"What am I supposed to do then?"

Leon shrugged, "There's a pile of paperwork…" He dodged before Letty could punch him again. He laughed then put his arm around her shoulders again, directing her back to their cars. "Well you could come back to the garage tomorrow so I can win a bet."

Letty smiled, "Vince?"

Leon nodded and they shared a conspiratorial smile. "Just think Lett, you could turn this in your favor…get Dom to pick up lunch and shit."

Letty's started laughing and Leon joined in, "Le, that's the smartest thing you've ever said to me."


	4. Whipped

**Disclaimer: **Don't own. Don't sue. Thanks!

**Whipped**

"Tony! Ryan!" Mia's shrill scream made Vince turn around, his legs automatically pushing him from the stool to reach her side. He saw the scene in perfect clarity: a car speeding around the corner, Tony and Ryan chasing each other heading straight for the street. He knew mentally that he'd never reach them in time, that Mia who was even closer, wouldn't reach her son's in time. She was hampered by her very evident pregnancy. Her voice hadn't fazed the twins at all. Mia screamed again and then the woman appeared, her arms snatching each boy by an arm, halting their progress before they could make it to the spot where the car whizzed by. It had been close. The displaced air from the vehicle ruffled the hair and clothes of the woman and the boys, they had been so close.

Mia reached the woman's side within two strides, snatching the unheld arms of the twins and the woman let go. "Jesus! What were you thinking!" she screamed at them, her relief at their safety making the anxiety come out. Vince reached them, standing behind Mia as the woman released the twins arms then moved to grab a small bag. Mia noticed the movement and addressed the boys savior, "I can't begin to thank you."

The woman shook her head, her mouth smiling even though her eyes showed she was as shaken as Mia was, "No problem sugar." Vince stared at the woman's mouth, her southern accent dragging the 'sugar' out in a nice long drawl. She walked past the group to settle herself on a stool in the café.

"Get in the car," Mia said in a slow menacing voice, staring both boys in the eyes. Vince walked them over to her car, then opened the back door to let them scoot inside, making sure to hit each boy on the back of the head. He watched them ride away, the boys throwing him a scowl as they rubbed the place where his hand had made contact. Little idiots.

Twenty minutes later, Vince looked over at the busty blond sitting on a stool fours seats away from him. He'd watched her save Mia's boys without hesitation. She hadn't flown into hysterics, but taken the thanks with grace. He took in her ordinary brown eyes, and shapely lips, remembering the accent that implied ritzy country bumpkin. She sighed deeply and he watched her chest rise and fall dramatically. Yeah, the woman was easy on the eyes, but not a spectacular beauty. Not as captivating with her long flowing light blond hair as the woman who'd left with her children twenty minutes ago. Vince had to laugh to himself. If he was honest with other people, it would be obvious that his visible preference for blonds was a clear way to deflect from his desire for one particular raven haired beauty.

He shook his head. He didn't need to love a woman, not to have sex with them, nor for what he was feeling crazy enough to propose to the blond who was trying to ease away from her seat. He watched her keeping a sharp eye on the little coed working the café, waiting for the young woman to turn away before she made her move. The little minx was going to skip out on the bill on his watch. Not likely. He coughed, drawing attention to himself. The blond woman paused, looking him square in the eye, trying to assess if she'd been caught dining-and-ditching. She seemed to take in his size, noticed his unwavering gaze, and situated herself back on the chair. So she was going to wait till he left. Smart woman. Sniffing, Vince stalked over to sit next to her.

"Need anything else Vince?" Megan, the coed, asked. Vince normally didn't socialize with random customers.

He nodded to the blond sitting on his right, "Her tab."

Megan nodded, "Six bucks." He pulled out his wallet, sliding Megan eleven bucks, enough to cover his meal and the blonds. As soon as Megan made herself as scarce as possible, Vince turned to the smiling woman.

"I ain't sleepin' with ya sugar. But thanks for the meal," she drawled at him, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"That was for saving those little idiots earlier," he told her.

She pursed her lips, taking in his deep blue eyes, short black hair, and gruff expression, "Well in that case Vince, my name's Ronnie."

He raised an eyebrow at her observation. She just might be the woman for the job, "You got a job Ronnie?"

She shook her head, "I came here to be an actress but I haven't found work yet."

Vince laughed, "Where you from?"

"Does it matter?"

"It might. You do drugs?"

"Naw mister," Ronnie said with an edge to her voice, "what's with all the questions?"

"Look you're pretty. And you did ok wit-h those kids earlier. And I could use some help," he told her flat out.

Ronnie's eyes narrowed again, "What kinda help?"

"I've got a three year old and he could use a full time…" handler, warden, keeper, "… woman in his life."

"Excuse me?"

"He needs a mom figure. Someone to smooth his edges," Vince explained.

Ronnie gave him a sweeping look, "You're a good lookin' man. Why not marry someone you like?"

Vince scowled and Ronnie shifted uncomfortably in her seat. He ground out, "I'm not interested in marriage."

"Where's his mom?" Vince's scowl deepened and she quickly shook her head, "Never mind."

There was silence for a moment as Vince weighed the words he needed to say, "You married or got a boyfriend?"

"No."

"Got a place to stay?"

Ronnie looked at her hands. She didn't and she knew that he would know that as well. Her full duffle bag, willingness to dine-and-dash, and prolonged entertaining of his line of questioning was answer enough.

"Look Ronnie, I don't want in your panties. I just need someone to look out for my boy."

"Would you pay me?"

He looked into her brown eyes, "Depends, can you act well enough to fool my family?"

"Act how?"

"Like a mom to my boy," he said looking deeply into her eyes. She was caving and he knew it.

"I'm not sleeping with you," she told him firmly.

"You'd have your own room at my place. And I'd leave you be. I'm too busy to look for someone decent but you know to play decent right?"

"What do you mean by that?" she said narrowing her eyes again. It was starting to entertain him, her showcasing her displeasure in such a small but telling way. It reminded him of…he wouldn't go there.

Instead Vince stared mockingly into her face, "You are an actress right?" She nodded. "Then what's the problem?"

Ronnie gave him a once over, down enough on her luck to take him up on his offer and yet trying to assess in these few moments whether she'd regret it or not. "Why are you offering a complete stranger…"

He shook his head deciding that he needed to seal the deal and get back to work before Dom lost it. "Look, you going to do this or what?"

Ronnie laughed, pleased that her luck had just changed. "Don't worry. When I'm done, your family will think I love you and your little boy like you've always been mine."

Vince found her answer to be the one he was looking for. A non-fussy woman to care for Casche while leaving him alone. He pushed away from the counter, striding over to his Mazda. This wasn't his first one, and he didn't know why he couldn't get over the pleasure of owning one. She looked at him, stunned and he crossed his arms sniffing.

"You comin'?" he called gruffly. Ronnie didn't take time to think. She needed a roof over head, food in her belly, and she saw the opportunity. She picked up her bag, slung it over her shoulder and got in the car with a stranger.

* * *

Ronnie felt her temper rising. She wanted to beat that little heathen within an inch of his life. She stared at the white pumps, the ones she found lucky and wanted to wear to her audition. Inside the toes were two little pools of urine, as if she couldn't tell from the stench or the stains splashed over the sides and floor. Ronnie had learned after two weeks with Vince and Casche that yelling and beatings didn't stop the little boy for long. She was reaching for patience but her body really didn't feel it. Her hand itched to slap his happy little face.

"Casche sugar, is there a reason you peed in my pumps?" Casche just smiled, shaking head before returning to watch cartoons. Her palms started to sting with a desire to stick his nose in his mess. Instead she walked over and held out a hand. "Come on, get up."

For a moment Casche looked at her hand curiously. Normally what he'd done was a beating offense. The tenor of the lady's voice, Ms. Ronnie's voice, was much different. Well if she beat him, he could always come back and watch cartoons later. He put his hand in hers and she helped him up, leading them back to the scene of the crime.

"What do we need to clean this up?" Ronnie asked the little boy. Casche's soulful blue eyes turned up to meet hers. Casche shrugged. "Try harder." He shrugged again. "I can stand here all day till this gets cleaned up so try again."

Finally Casche's shoulders fell. She wasn't playing fair. He sighed heavily. "Bucket and soap."

"That should do the job. Let's get the bucket. But we'll work on the shoes in the bathroom first." Ronnie made the little boy tag along with her, making sure he handled the shoes carefully to pour the urine in bucket. They disposed of it down the toilet before she made him scrub her shoes with an old toothbrush and laundry soap. She'd bleach them later. Then they went back to her closet with a few rags and soap in the bucket to clean up. And even though she missed her audition, Ronnie found that spending time with Casche mellowed him out more than a beating ever would.

* * *

Vince swallowed his latest mouthful of corona, careful to keep one ear in the conversation even though his mind was across the yard. He watched Ronnie's slow smile move over her face, her blond hair pulled back from her face today. He didn't understand it. Casche had just taken her favorite lipstick this morning, the fire engine red color that made her lips look amazing, and smeared it all over the walls of her room. When she'd come from her shower, Vince had watched her stalk into the living room and hold out her shaking hand to his son. Casche had smiled slightly and Ronnie had pinched his face between her fingers.

"_Casche sugar, you're hurting me," she'd told him in her lazy drawl._

Vince had watched the drops of water from her hair run over her shoulders, stopping at the gigantic towel she had covering her body. Casche had taken Ronnie's hand, pulling her around the apartment to get a bucket, soap, and some rags. The little boy had stayed once the cleaning was over, watching Ronnie bustle around the room to get ready. And now Vince watched as every so often, Casche would run over and put his head on Ronnie's shoulder. She would pat his arms or his head before he'd shake it off and run off to play again.

"Yeah, I think I'll need to hire more help this summer at the store," Brian's voice broke into Vince's thoughts.

"Well if you'd stop knocking Mia up…"Leon started and Brian punched him lightly in the shoulder.

Dom's deep voice joined in pretending to threaten, "You need me to teach you how to keep your hands off my sister?"

Brian smiled and shook his head, "Naw man. I'm cool."

Vince shook his head then looked back over at table where Letty, Ronnie, a very pregnant Mia were talking. Apparently the conversation was very entertaining since they were all laughing. Looking at Ronnie, Vince knew he'd judged the actress well. No one seemed to notice that she was just pretending to care about him or Casche.

"Well with the way things are working out, maybe Vince and Ronnie can…" Leon started but Vince turned to point a menacing finger at him. "Uh, never mind."

The men laughed and Letty's voice cut across the yard, "Hey Dom! You gonna wear that chicken out?"

Dom rolled his eyes then muttered under his breath, "You see what I put up with?" No one took him seriously though. Regardless of how many fights or rough patches those two seemed to hit, Letty and Dom couldn't stop loving each other. Within moments the team, with some obvious additions, was sharing another Sunday barbeque in the Toretto backyard.

* * *

Vince flipped through another channel and took in the too quiet apartment. He'd left Casche with Dom and Letty two hours ago. Mia had come home from the hospital with her new daughter Bria. The happy uncle had decided to keep all the boys tonight to give Mia and Brian a chance to get his niece settled. It felt good to have a night off from Casche. He'd been starting to get real inventive with his tortures. Vince had come home two nights ago to find permanent marker on all of his undershirts, even the ones stained with grease. He didn't know when Casche found the time to do all this underhanded stuff. Well no amount of trying to clean those shirts up fixed them and Ronnie hadn't been able to spare Casche the beating Vince had doled out.

Ronnie was late. Or at least it was late and Ronnie wasn't here. Vince racked his brain, trying to remember if she'd had something to do when he heard the lock turn over. Ronnie breezed through the door, her hair curled tonight and piled on top of her head. Within seconds she slipped out of her heels, hung her purse, and puttered into the kitchen. She returned with a fresh corona for him and a bottle of water for herself, plopped on the opposite end of the couch, and they sat in silence.

"Where's Casche?" Ronnie asked during a commercial.

"Dom's." From the corner of his eye Vince watched her shake out her hair, rolling her shoulders. He sniffed, "Where were you?"

Ronnie sighed, "Audition. But they cut me 'cause I don't fit their Suzy-homemaker ideal." Vince shrugged. He didn't have a comment. After a few moments Ronnie laughed, "Can I ask you something?" Vince shrugged again. "How long have you had a thing for Mia?"

Vince didn't realize that he'd moved until he was leaning over Ronnie. Ronnie's eyes were wide, her breath hitched in her throat pushing her chest into his. He recognized that he'd pulled her leg, sliding her body across the couch so her dress was hitched up around her upper thighs. Her hair was fanned out behind her and in this moment he recognized that she truly wasn't going to fool anyone into thinking she was a staid stay-at-home mom. He watched her sultry mouth start to tremble as her plain brown eyes glassed over with unshed tears.

Slowly so he wouldn't be misunderstood, Vince ground out, "Keep your eye on my son and outta my business."

He stared at her for another long moment then pushed himself away. Grabbing a leather jacket and his keys, he stormed out of the apartment. _'Who did she think she was messing with?' _Vince thought as he peeled out of the parking lot. He couldn't believe she'd asked him about Mia. He was surprised she'd even noticed. He worked to hide his feelings for her so carefully. He'd pretty much buried that part of his past when she'd run off and married the chump. Vince didn't feel any ill will toward Brian anymore, although it helped that Brian now ran _The Racers Edge_ with Harry. Vince even felt protective of Tony and Ryan. So why had the comment about Mia rankled?

Vince should have brushed Ronnie's comment off. But deep down he still harbored an unhealthy infatuation with straight dark hair, deep dark eyes, and a sharp sassy mouth. Mia knew him, understood that he wasn't flashy. She'd watched him womanize and understood his sense of family, of right and wrong, and loved him anyway. But Mia loved him as a brother, only as a brother, and couldn't see anything else. The protective feelings he had for her before Dom had gone to Lompoc had grown into a romantic love that she could never return. The rejection stung.

It was four am when Vince returned to his apartment, unable to stretch out his time aimlessly wandering. He wasn't feeling charitable and didn't bother to keep his movements quiet as he entered, tossing his keys noisily on the counter and letting his boots drop to the floor. He heard the rustle of sheets and her feet hit the floor. He'd push past her if he had to but he wasn't going to apologize for keeping her out of his business, away from his hurts. He made his way toward his room, pulling his shirt off, ready to toss it on his bedroom floor. It took Vince a minute to realize that she was standing beside his bed.

"Go to your room Ronnie," he told her, his voice scratchy but without heat.

"I'm sorry for earlier sugar," she told him before enveloping him in a hug. Her heat and weight felt so good to him. It had been so long and his feelings felt so raw. The two women were different. There was no way he could mistake one for the other, even in the dark. But that night Vince let his mind pretend that Ronnie was the woman he truly wanted to be with.

* * *

"Vince," Casche's childlike voice broke into his thoughts. Casche's attempt at Vince's raspy grumble was amusing to the older man.

"I thought you were hungry?" he told the boy, pointing with one of his fries at Casche's meal.

"I'm hungry," Casche said quickly, stuffing a few fries in his mouth. The kid loved Fat Burger as much as Vince did. They were sitting in a booth in the restaurant sharing what Vince hoped would be a few untroubled minutes together. "Is Miss Ronnie my mom?"

Vince shook his head and Casche pressed, "Where is my mom?"

Vince shrugged. There were too many women in Vince's past during that fuzzy time in his life that could have been Casche's mom. He didn't know who the woman was, just that she'd left an infant with his face and eyes on his doorstep and changed his life. He watched his son intently sticking his fries in ketchup, waiting for his son to articulate what would be the logical next question.

"Can I have a brother?" Casche asked eagerly. Ok, that was not the question he'd been expecting at all.

"Hell no," Vince told him, "Eat your burger kid." Casche frowned but did as his old man told him. He'd ask Miss Ronnie for a little brother instead.

* * *

Casche sat on the edge of the bed in Miss Ronnie's room, watching her brush her long blond hair. His Aunt Mia and Aunt Letty didn't have hair that color or boobs that big. Maybe that's why Vince let her stay here. Maybe Vince hadn't seen anything like Ms. Ronnie either. But that stuff probably didn't matter. Vince probably let her stay because she was funny in her own way. She didn't know how to wrestle like him, Tony, Ryan, and Junior. But she liked to sing songs sometimes and make silly voices when she read him books or helped him put together puzzles. He didn't like the puzzles much, but he liked that she did stuff with him. Vince could be a lot of fun when he was around. But he just never spent much time around.

The phone rang Ronnie darted off to answer it. Casche could hear her take a deep breath before picking it up. He slid off the bed, intending to go turn the TV on to wait her out, think up some plan to get her to read him a story since he was feeling sleepy. He would never tell her that outright because he wasn't a baby anymore, but sometimes it was nice to take a nap.

"Uh huh, yes, I got it. Ten am tomorrow, I'll be there. Buh bye!" Ronnie started jumping up and down, "Yes!" She ran over to him and picked him up, spinning him in a quick circle before placing him back on the couch. Casche grumbled but Ronnie was not swayed by his temper. "Oh sugar it's so wonderful! I'm going to be in a television show. Isn't that wonderful!"

Casche frowned. It didn't sound wonderful.

"This is going to be my big break I can feel it," she cooed. Absently she began running her fingers through her hair.

"Ms. Ronnie will you live with Vince after the big break?" Casche's question brought her up short. She'd started to feel something for the little boy that felt like caring. Or maybe that was the first stirrings of wanting something more with Vince.

She walked over to the couch cupping the small face in her hands, "I'm not sure shoog," her emphasis on sugar making his face wrinkle deeper. "I'll be workin' and we'll have to talk to Vince 'bout this."

"Can you read me a story?"

Ronnie shook her head, "Not right now Casche. I want to prep for my meeting tomorrow."

Casche turned the TV on, angry now that she was already changing. He liked Ms. Ronnie, he really did. His brain started to run through all the ways he could get her to stay.

"I've had it!" Ronnie's frustrated voice carried through the door to the apartment. Vince could hear her fumbling around in there and he shook his head. Casche really must have pissed her off today. Deciding that he couldn't put off standing outside any longer, he unlocked the door and stepped inside. Ronnie was pacing the floor, holding up a long blond strand of her hair. Shit. Well the temper was understandable. And then Vince got a good look at Casche. The boy was sitting curled into himself on the couch, not crying, but his face very forlorn.

"You beat him yet?" Vince asked her trying to assess where they were in the process. Hair wasn't something that could easily be fixed.

Ronnie turned on him, stalking over to thrust her hair in his hands, "I've never met such an ill bred child. This is the final straw. Find someone else to play mama. I'm through!"

She started muttering to herself, walking to the door to grab her full duffel bag. Vince realized that she was serious. "Where are you goin'?"

"As far away from blue eyed devils as possible," she spat throwing the door wide open. Casche ran over to watch with Vince as Ronnie's three month stint with them ended. She held her head high as she disappeared around the corner of the building. For a moment Vince thought about roughing his kid up but Casche turned sadly and went into his room. But from that point on Vince made an effort to spend more quality time with Casche to mend the ache in the kid's heart. After all, his family was big enough without adding an extra female or more kids to the mix.


	5. Freedom pt 2

**Disclaimer: **Don't own. Don't sue. Thanks!

**Freedom (pt. 2)**

"But I want ice cream!" Junior screamed. Letty continued to ignore the boy's tantrum, fixing up a small portion of the chicken and rice for him.

"Comerse." _Eat up_ she told him, placing the plate on the table.

"No!" Junior screamed. Letty ignored his protest, placing the squirming three year old in a chair and pushing him up to the table. She fixed up two more plates, one for herself and one for Dom before she took a seat. It gave Junior enough time to start howling in earnest. Dom had barely sat down when Junior turned his attention to his father. "Papi, I want ice cream. Please papi!"

"Eat your dinner Junior," Letty told him firmly.

"I don't want to!" he screamed then started crying loudly.

Dom's fists clenched as he fought for calm. The kid had extended his terrible two's into a third irritating year. He felt his palms start to itch as Junior squirmed in the chair, angling to push it away from the table so he could get down. Sure enough, he was out of the chair in moments, taking his tantrum to his mom's side.

"Go eat your dinner Junior," Letty said evenly not bothering to look at her son. Junior started to push her arm and Dom lost it. He reached over and grabbed Junior by the arm, pulling the kid until his face was inches from Dom's own.

"Sit down, eat your dinner, and shut up. I'm not going to tell you again," he said in a menacing voice. Junior sniffed but he quickly retook his seat as soon as Dom let him go.

"Thanks a lot Dom," Letty said sarcastically as soon as Junior was in bed for the night.

"What's your problem?"

"You're teaching him that he doesn't have to listen to me."

"How did I do that?"

"By jacking him up. I was handling the situation Dom."

"Oh is that what you were doing? Cause I saw him running all over you," Dom challenged.

"I was showing him that a tantrum wasn't going to change my mind."

"So you were prepared to have him hit you all night."

"No, I was prepared to send him to bed without dinner for defying me."

"He needs to know whose boss Letty."

"And we teach that to him by threatening him," she retorted dryly.

"Fear works."

"But it doesn't teach him to respect us at all times. He only cares when you're threatening him."

Dom threw up his hands in frustration, "So what do you want me to do?"

Letty's eyes narrowed, "Back me up."

"How can I? You constantly spare him a good ass whooping."

Letty crossed the room and ripped off her shirt, "So that's what we do now. We beat our kid into submission."

"Letty, I don't want to fight," Dom sighed. She tossed her shirt at him but didn't say anymore. Changing into a tank top and boxers she crawled into bed. Dom stripped to his boxers, turning off the light and crawling into bed after her.

Casche and Junior were running across the yard, a complicated childlike game of tag currently occupying them. Ryan and Tony had already made it to home base and were waiting for Casche to join them. Dom fired up the grill waiting for Vince to bring him the steaks and burgers.

"I can't believe Casche is four," Brian said sipping his Corona.

"I'm surprised Vince was able to keep the kid alive this long," Leon teased.

Dom laughed, "Yeah, that kid is worse than mine."

They watched as Casche made it back to the tree they were using as home base. Junior closed his eyes and started to count again and the boys scattered, not to hide but to get as far away from the tree as possible without getting out of the yard. Vince joined them just as Junior finished counting and the running began.

"Please tell me you're done," Vince growled at Brian.

Brian grinned, "Yeah, I don't think I can handle anymore kids." He and Mia's daughter, Bria, had all of her uncle's wrapped around her fingers. But she didn't seem to understand that a two year old couldn't rough house with the older boys without getting hurt in the process.

"Papi, can we have popsicles?" Junior asked, his cousins standing behind him.

"Sure," Dom said happy to make at least one part of his family happy. Junior ran off to grab the popsicles but was back with a scowl on his face in less than two minutes.

"What happened?" Casche asked suspiciously.

"My mom said no."

Dom handed his tongs to Leon then walked towards the house, running his hand over Junior's head before he traversed the back stairs and entered the kitchen. He crossed over to the freezer, grabbed four popsicles, and turned to find Letty's eyes narrowed on him. Dom stared back.

"Uh, Bria honey let's take these snacks outside," Mia told her daughter, handing the little girl napkins and ushering her out to the back yard.

Letty rubbed her tongue against her upper teeth, crossing her arms as she leaned against the countertop. "What are you doing?"

"I told him they could have popsicles."

"We're about to eat."

"Bullshit."

Letty rolled her eyes, "Dom, they're about to eat tons of cake, ice cream, and candy. They don't need any more sugar."

"It's Casche's birthday. So what if they have a little extra sugar."

"Let's forget the fact that he asked me a half hour ago and I already told him no."

Dom threw his hands up, "So when is my word going to count around here Letty?"

"Don't start."

"So we can only do what you think is right for Junior," Dom said crossing his arms, the popsicles dangling from his fingers.

"You know what? Fuck it, give it to him." She pushed away from the counter and started to leave the kitchen but Dom reached for her.

"Letty," he started but she twisted away from him.

"From now I'll make sure he clears everything with you."

"Letty, why haven't you married me?" The question caught her off guard. He'd proposed several times and she's refused several times.

"Because you drive me nuts Dom."

"Is that the only reason?"

"Get away from me. You get to be the good guy again."

"Don't change the subject."

"The two of us love to be free, why change that?"

He laughed coldly, "You seem to be the only one clinging to freedom."

"If that's the case, then why haven't you told me what you and Vince are doing late nights?"

This time Dom was caught off guard, "What makes you think…"

"Don't lie Dom. And given your history, you're lucky I suspect you're working nights."

"Fuck you Letty. I never cheated on you," he said, menace dripping from every word.

"I never said you did. I was referring to your stint with Tran."

"Huh? I only cheated on her with you…" he trailed off then paused. Joi was a fiasco that he didn't want to revisit. He'd never cheated on Letty, not once, not even on accident.

"I wasn't talking about her! I was talking about you driving for Johnny! I'm talking about you making all the decisions and keeping me in the dark."

"That was a long time ago. Stop throwin' that shit in my face."

"So what's with the late night disappearing act?"

"You know what? Nothing makes you happy anymore Letty."

"Just answer the question!" she shouted. Dom stared at her knowing that what they were yelling about wasn't really their issue. She knew he was up to something and he didn't want to admit to her that she was right. He wasn't putting their family in danger, not in the way she thought he was. And it was better for at least one of them to be at home with Junior. He knew if he told her the truth that she would want to be by his side, and he didn't want their kid to be without both of his parents if something went wrong.

And he took the easy way out, "Fine! I've been racing and fucking around." Letty blinked, stunned by his words. "Letty," he began, walking towards her slowly hoping to get close enough to hold her before she lost it. He wasn't fast enough. Letty reached behind her, grabbing for the first things she could use as ammo. The corn ears pelted his body with a force he hadn't expected.

"Estúpido!" _Stupid!_ Whack! The first one hit his chest. " Egoísta!" _Selfish!_ Whack! The second one hit him again in the chest. _"_Hijo de puta!" _Son of a bitch!_ Whack! The next one hit his forearm as he held it up to shield his face. He reached her in time to grab her wrists before she could throw another one. "Salga!" _Get out!_

"Listen to me!" he ground out careful to avoid her knees. She was bent almost backwards, her eyes spitting fire. "I didn't mean to hurt you Letty."

"Let go of me," she said in a low voice. He stared into her eyes and saw the hurt there. For once the lie was better than the truth but it would cost him.

"I'll make this up to you, just trust me," he said softly into her hair. And then she broke down. The tears fell and she started crying, the sound insanely painful. It had happened once before so he knew as he felt his heart break that hers was breaking too. He let her arms go as the fight slowly left her, replaced with pain. Though her legs seemed to give out he refused to let her fall, pulling her body to his chest to whisper in her ear. "Trust me." The cries got louder before she started pushing him away.

"Cabrón," _Bastard_ she whispered. He let her go then backed away, watching her turn to run upstairs. His right hand ran up across his face, over his head, then cupped the back of his neck. He turned as the door opened, looking at his son's tear stained face and Leon's resigned look.

"I'll talk to her," Leon told him, making his way towards the stairs. Dom caught up with Leon before he made it to the landing.

"No, I got this," Dom said gruffly.

Junior tugged on his father hand, "Papi fix it. Please fix it."

Dom put a steadying hand on his son's shoulder then walked up the stairs. He could hear Letty moving around in Junior's room and his insides turned cold. "Not again Letty," he told her, standing in the doorway. She had a bag open, stuffing Junior's clothes inside. Letty pretended not to hear him, continuing until the bag couldn't hold any more then she zipped it and made to push past Dom. "No Letty. No runnin'."

"I'm not runnin'!" she screamed, throwing the bag at him. He caught it with ease. "Get out of my way."

"Then what are you doing?"

"Making room for you and your whore!"

Dom felt her words sting knowing that he couldn't have her think otherwise. He backed up to let her pass and she surprised him by snatching the bag from his hands then stumbling quickly down the stairs.

"Letty girl," Leon started but she grabbed Junior's hand, tugging the boy out of the front door so fast that Leon couldn't react. Dom saw red.

"Get back in here! Don't you dare take my son Letty!" he roared out to her, running to catch them. Vince was already standing in the front yard behind Letty's car, blocking her into the driveway. Mia and Brian were trying to keep the rest of the kids in the back yard. Dom ripped the driver side door open, grabbing Letty's shirt. There was a flurry of movement as Leon rushed up to pull Dom back along with Vince.

"Papi! Mami!" Junior cried out.

"You're not taking my son from me Letty," he growled at her and she jumped out of the car, locking the doors.

"You know what's best for me? For him?" she said motioning to their son crying in the car.

"Calm down Letty," Leon told her. Letty gave Leon a long look, then spared a glance for Dom who was still struggling in Vince's tight grasp. Finally she dropped the keys to her car then stood in front of Dom.

"I give up, do what you want. You always do," she told him, her eyes dead.

Letty climbed the stairs, going into Mia's old bedroom and lying in the bed there, not bothering close the door. At this moment she didn't know what to do. Nothing mattered anymore. The faith she'd had in her relationship with Dom had died twenty minutes ago. An odd calm came over the house. Two hours later Mia came to rub her back but Letty didn't move.

Mia bent down after ten minutes to whisper in her ear, "Come home with me and Brian tonight." Letty didn't move and she couldn't answer. Mia tugged on her arm, "Junior and Casche are spending the night at our place. The boys are going to talk some sense into my brother. You'll work this out, you two always do."

But by morning Dom was gone.

* * *

"Okosanwa imasu ka?" _Do you have children?_ Gigi asked Dom, her smoky grey eyes looking intently at him. Dom sighed, tugging a strand of her brown hair.

Han smiled at Dom's bewildered look then addressed his daughter, "Eigo de hanasō, Gigi." _Let's talk in English, Gigi._

"Wakatta," _I understand_ Gigi told him before turning her face to Dom's, "Oji?" _Uncle?_

Han laughed but Dom responded, "Yeah little girl?"

"You have children in America?" she asked him eagerly.

Dom's eyes got sad, "Yes, a little boy."

"He visits us too?"

"Not this time Gigi."

Gigi slid off his lap, her eyes very serious and went to sit on her father's lap, "Otōsan, kyōsō ujurau desu." _I want to go racing, father._

Han laughed then answered the question in Dom's eyes, "She wants to go to a race. You feel up to it?"

Dom sighed looking out the window to the last rays of the sun touching the Tokyo horizon. He'd been in town for less than twelve hours and he felt the itch to return home settling in. But he couldn't go home, not right now, not with Letty refusing to speak to him. Han read Dom's face, knowing that his best friend was beyond regretting whatever had sent him to Tokyo for escape.

"Come on Dom, before she loses her patience," Han directed, grabbing his keys.

Gigi frowned, "No Otōsan, the orange one!" Han laughed at Dom's raised eyebrow.

"It only has two seats. How many people are there?"

Gigi counted, showing Han three fingers. Her lips puckered as she thought for a moment, "The red one."

Han exchanged his keys opting for the red Spider as opposed to his original choice, his black Skyline. The three of them traveled down to the basement of the high rise, making their way to Han's car. Dom smiled, noticing that the steering wheel was on the opposite side that he was used to.

"The red one?" Dom laughed as they pulled out onto the busy street.

"Hey, it's a work in progress," Han joked, thinking of the failed attempts at teaching his daughter the makes and models of the cars. He was just lucky that their unique paint jobs made it easy for her to identify his cars from the others out there. He pulled into an alley twenty minutes later and Dom was surprised to see a two story garage come into view. A number of highly decorated vehicles were already parked back there and the bay doors were wide open. Gigi jumped out of the car as soon as Han opened the door then skipped over to Dom holding out her little hand expectantly. He surrendered his hand and let her lead him inside.

"Neela-chan!" Gigi called out to an exotic young woman with long dark hair who was bent over the engine of a rx-7, her gold dress ending a quarter down her thighs and long brown boots covering up the rest of her legs. The woman, Neela, turned to look at Gigi and her eyes turned up in a smile though she pursued her lips.

"This your new boyfriend Georgeanne?" Neela asked her accent exotically similar to Gigi's.

A skinny black man with a wide smile popped up from behind a tire, "You dumpin' me already girl?"

Gigi pulled Dom forward, her steps eager, stopping only when they were standing in front of a stocky white boy whose face clearly said he was wary of the newcomer. "Who's your friend Gigi?" he drawled, Dom picking up on the kid's deep southern accent. Instead of answering, Gigi raised her arms and the boy picked her up keeping his eyes fixed on Dom. Smiling Han braced himself against a red Evo but didn't bother to make introductions. Three more people, all Japanese joined the group loosely gathered now and Gigi threw her arms around the boy's neck then laid her head on his shoulder.

"Well uh," the black man started, "since everyone's going to play shy I guess I'll introduce myself. I'm Twinkie. You want it I got it or can get it," he pointed to the Japanese guys next, "That's Toshi and Earl," then he pointed at the girl who waved at Dom, "and Reiko," before waving his hand to the exotic woman, "the one with the funny accent is Neela," he teased and she stuck out her tongue. Dom gave a slight head jerk in the southern kid's direction and Twinkie responded, "Oh and that there is Shawn, but you'll mostly hear him referred to as D.K. 'round here." Dom raised an eyebrow at the abbreviation and Twinkie rushed to explain, "You know, Drift King? So check it, Shawn here is the Tokyo equivalent to what you are in L.A."

The rest of the group apart from Han turned to stare at Twinkie, "How do you know he's from L.A.?" Reiko asked in stilted English, the language foreign on her tongue but necessary to keep up a conversation in this garage.

Twinkie's eyes sparkled with disbelief, "What? Ya'll do know this is Han's homeboy Dominic Toretto?"

"Who?" Earl asked curiously.

Twinkie tisked, "Come on people, you know…Dominic Toretto? King of the L.A. street scene? This man is famous right here." The looks were still confused and Twinkie looked affronted, "The man behind DT Automotive…"

"Naw, I heard of you," Shawn drawled carefully, "Saw a video of you on the internet. You're pretty fast…for drivin' in a straight line." Dom rolled his eyes then smiled at Han. _This kid has balls._

"Oji? You race with D.K.-san?" Gigi asked turning her smoky grey eyes on Dom's.

"Naw, your uncle doesn't race just to race anymore," Han responded lazily.

Earl threw up his hands in disgust, "Oh here we go." The others started rolling their eyes and showing other signs of protest.

"Do you know what the point of a race is Georgeanne?" Neela asked silkily, crossing the floor to caress the little girl's face.

Gigi's face pulled into a serious pucker before she answer brightly, kissing Shawn on the cheek, "To get lots of pretty girl kisses!"

Dom laughed then drawled slowly, "Is that right."

Shawn placed Gigi back on the ground then stuck his hand out to shake Dom's. "So you ever drift?"

The music in the multi-story garage was pumping from multiple vehicles, each with a crowd of people swaying to the beats. Beyond the obviously larger crowd of people in attendance and the fact that it was held in a parking garage, Dom could tell that racing here was different. The atmosphere was relaxed. No one seemed worried that the cops would come. And according to Twinkie, anyone could race if they had a car and money so there could easily be five to ten races in a night. However, like L.A., there was still a pecking order. Shawn as D.K. had a lot of wannabe contenders but he had the luxury to only race the best.

At the moment Dom had given up trying to keep an eye on where everyone had disbursed to. His thoughts guiltily shifted to the woman and son he'd left seventeen hours behind him. He hadn't been home for three days now. He knew she'd noticed but her refusal to call his cell was a deliberate message for him to stay away. If only life could be as simple as the lie he told her in the first place…

"Hey yo Dom," Twinkie called out to him over the music. Dom looked up to see the young man striding over to him quickly, Han following at a more sedate pace behind him with his arms around a beautiful girl with bright red hair. "You ready to see how Shawn keeps his title?"

Dom shrugged, pulling himself mentally back to the left side of the Pacific Ocean. Han leaned against the hood of the car, the girl plastering herself to his side before flipping open a phone to text. Han pulled out a bag of odd looking snacks and began idly popping them into his mouth. Dom smirked. Some people never changed. Shawn joined them next, jumping into a conversation with Twinkie about the racing possibilities for the night. They decided on an opponent then Twinkie melted into the crowd to set it up. Before Dom could open his mouth to ask he spotted Neela emerging from the crowd, Gigi's hand clasped tightly in hers. As they walked toward their group he noticed the similarities in their hair and the shape of their eyes, but Gigi's mouth was fuller and her skin paler.

"You race soon D.K.-san?" Gigi asked eagerly, smiling as Shawn nodded his agreement as Twinkie walked up.

"Alright man, you're up," Twinkie told him and they moved purposefully to the line together, Twinkie already had Shawn's car in place. Neela propped Gigi on the hood of the car then stood close by, opening her phone and texting immediately. Dom thought it was weird that they didn't go up to the line to see the racers off but the reason became apparent in moments. As soon as the race was started they zoomed off to the first turn, quickly sliding up towards the next level. Unlike the other races, the crowd began to run towards the elevators, eager to be at the top where the action would end. Neela lazily handed her phone to Gigi who giggled as she saw the cars continuing to race upward. Han pushed himself up, leading the redhead to the elevators. Neela and Gigi followed, Dom bringing up the rear. The crowd parted and they rode up alone to the top. Once there the crowd continued to swell and then Dom heard the squeal of tires making the final spiral up. Gigi started jumping up and down as the Evo slid to a stop ahead of Shawn's opponent. The crowd was going wild as he got out of the car and strode over to Twinkie to bump fists. Some random guy tossed a stack of money at Han who started counting idly.

"How'd I do?" Shawn asked jovially reaching Neela's side.

"You need help with your throttle response," she told him and he grinned. Dom thought it looked like foreplay and her response read like code. Gigi's arms came up and Shawn lifted her easily, being rewarded with a kiss on the cheek from the little girl.

"That was the response I was looking for. See, that's why Gigi's my girl," Shawn teased.

The crowd eventually thinned out and Han's team returned to the garage for a party. The place was filled with wall to wall beautiful women. Those women wasted no time coming to talk to Dom, rubbing their hands over his pecks, leaning to whisper in his ears. He gently disentangled himself following Han who had his arms around two brunettes. They finally made their way into the garage to sit on some couches, the women holding glasses of champagne but Han produced two bottles of Corona. Dom accepted his with a pensive mood.

"You going to explain why you came to Tokyo?" Han asked sipping his beer.

"Depends," Dom hedged taking another sip of his beer, "How much did Leon tell you?"

"Why Leon?"

" 'Cause Vince would never tell, even if he knew."

Han shrugged, "What would make Letty want to take Junior and leave?"

Dom braced himself, "I told her I was sleeping around."

Han gave Dom's profile an assessing look. "Why would you lie about something like that?"

"Who said it's a lie?"

"You love Letty like I loved Daphne. You'd never cheat."

Dom mulled Han's words over for a few minutes before caving in, "I'm doing some after-hours work at the request of the FBI as a favor to Brian."

"How is that working out?"

"Real shitty," Dom admitted taking another pull from his bottle. The pair sat in silence for a moment.

"Lompoc type-shitty or…"Han trailed off.

Dom gave Han a hard look, "Cartel, pine-box type." He watched the flicker of surprise cross Han's face.

"Next time pick a better lie," Han admonished before turning to kiss one of the girls close to him.

Dom wandered around for a few hours not really trying to engage in the festivities. The music wasn't bad but it felt too loud. The crowd was friendly but unknown. Making his way back to the garage he let himself out of the side door, returning him to the quiet alleyway. Since he hadn't bothered to adjust his watch, a check of the time showed him it was 11 am at home. Flipping open his cell, Dom scrolled through his contacts and found the number he was looking for. It took a moment to connect but then he heard the ringing of the phone, knowing the connection had been made. For a troubling minute he worried that no one would be there and then…

"Hello, O'Connor residence, Vicky speaking." Yes, Vicky, the girl that watched the kids while they worked. This was much better than catching Brian or Mia.

"Vicky, this is Dom. Is Junior there?"

Vicky's voice turned sharp, "Casche! Cool it!" then it warmed up considerably, "Yeah he's here. Lemme get him." He heard her call out for his son then waiting a minute as the boy claimed the phone.

"Yeah, hello?" Junior said in his little boy voice, the sassy edge reminding Dom of himself.

"You miss me Junior?" Dom teased the boy.

"Papi!" The enthusiastic cry from his son tore at his heart.

"Whatcha doin' over there?"

"Papi! Come home Papi! I miss you," Junior said, his little voice betraying his deep sadness at his family being apart.

"I can't come home yet, but I miss you too," Dom told him.

Junior's heart sank, "Please Papi? Mami and I played racers in the Charger to wait for you."

Letty was waiting for him? In the Charger? Guess that had to count for something. He sighed, "Can you do something for me Junior?"

"Yes Papi," Junior said in his most serious voice. He always felt grown up when his Papi gave him a job to do.

"You're in charge of my car. Don't let anyone drive it, ok?" Dom knew the job would be easy and would take his son's mind off them being apart. No one drove the Charger other than him.

"Ok."

The bay doors began to roll up behind Dom, bringing him back to where he currently was. He could hear Gigi calling out for him in delight. They must have made it a game to find him. "Be good."

"Ok."

"Bye Junior."

"Bye Papi," Junior said, his voice no longer dejected but sounding uplifted at being given a task. Dom hung up before the prolonged exchange made him get back on a plane for the States.

"Oji," Gigi's little voice was stern, "Don't walk off again. Tokyo is too big and you'll get lost."

Han had the grace to keep his full laugh reigned in as Dom crossed over to get in the car. Once Gigi was strapped in Han made his way back to his apartment. Neither man was surprised that Gigi fell asleep on the short ride home. It was five am. Cradling his daughter to his chest, Han led the way back to the elevator then spent the ride to his apartment studying the large man next to him. He and Dom had been friends since high school and stayed in touch even when Han had fled L.A. for the bright lights of Tokyo. They were close enough to consider themselves family and yet for the first time in their relationship Dom seemed to be running from his responsibilities. And Han didn't know if he should give Dom a kick to get his head on straight or let the larger man figure out how to fix this mess on his own.

Han watched as Dom completed a flawless arc onto the top of the parking garage five seconds in front of his opponent. The crowd went bananas, including his little girl. Dom walked over to pick up the giggling girl, raising her high and kissing her stomach till she laughed outright.

"Don't forget my prize baby girl," Dom told her as he lowered her to hold in his arms. She kissed his cheeks and he grinned. As he put her down, she clung to his hand. Han pushed up from the hood of Neela's car to hand Dom his money.

"You ready?" Han asked and Dom nodded. The trio made their way back downstairs to Han's black Skyline. The ride to the airport was filled with Gigi's occasional bursts into accompanying the songs playing on the radio. She skipped beside them as Dom went to pick up his ticket from the counter and she even distracted them with her happiness at seeing the beautiful outfits the airline attendants wore. But as soon as Dom knelt down to hug her goodbye her face scrunched up and tears began to leak out.

Dom gently wiped the tears from her face with his thumb, "Don't cry baby girl. Before you know it, you'll be all grown up and visiting me in Cali." His words didn't comfort her. Han picked her up and Dom rose, running a hand over the back of his own neck. Han shook his head at Dom's nervous gesture.

"If Letty forgives you for being gone for four months, Gigi will cope," Han told Dom with a small half grin.

Dom heaved a deep sigh, "Don't expect Gigi to stop crying for a long time then."

Han laughed at him, "Stop stalling. We'll call soon."

Dom tugged on the still now sniffling little girl's hair gently but she refused to look at him with anything other than a dejected face. With a final wave, he turned and walked purposefully through the checkpoint and refused to look anywhere but at the signs so he could find the correct terminal. He'd gotten so close to Han's daughter in the short time he'd been in Tokyo that it hurt to leave her sad. But as he flew home, Dom would have gladly endured tears over what he knew would be hostility when he finally saw Letty. At least Junior would be ecstatic to see him.

It was late when his flight touched down at LAX. He took an airport shuttle home so he could get himself together, gather his thoughts and tamp down on any hint of his temper. It wouldn't do either one any good to get overly angry when he was clearly in the wrong. He had every intention of telling Letty what was going on considering he'd quit hours before he'd flown away. It helped that the cartel boss had been taken out not too long after. There would be no reason for her to get involved now. The house was dark, not surprising considering it was 11 pm on a weeknight. The locks turned over, his key still good currency at the Toretto house. He wouldn't have been shocked if Letty had changed the locks after having no contact with him since March. As quiet as possible, Dom made his way upstairs eager to peek in at his son. As he approached the room that used to belong to his father, he noticed that all the doors upstairs were open. It was normal for them to sleep with the doors slightly propped open but not completely open this way. Perhaps they weren't here? But then Dom heard the rustle of sheets in his room directly across the hall from the door he wanted to pause at first.

Dom barely breathed as he approached the door to his room and took in the scene. The moonlight illuminated Junior snuggled in the bed, his head resting on Dom's pillow. One of the boy's arms was under his face but his other was flung over his mom's neck as if he was trying to embrace her in his sleep. Dom felt his heart expanding at Junior's peaceful expression and then he let his eyes adjust to the bulge protruding from the part of the bed he knew should Letty's stomach would be. He froze and he felt his heart drop into his stomach. _'What was going on here?'_ Unable to process what he was seeing, Dom made his way back downstairs to sit on the couch.

Dom couldn't figure out what woke him. He cracked his exhausted eyes open blurrily trying to gain enough alertness to remember where he was. And then he heard the sound that must have woken him. The shrill ring of his cell surprised him. It was six am! '_Who would be calling him at this hour?'_ Unable to focus on the display, Dom flipped the phone open and grumbled.

"Oji!" Gigi's voice rang with pleasure. The deep recesses of his mind knew it must be afternoon in Japan but his body was too tired to figure out what time it was.

"Baby girl," he replied, sleep evident in his voice. There was movement on the floor above him. He guessed he'd woken the house with his phone.

"I miss you. You miss me? Are you taking your little boy to race too?" Gigi babbled.

"Of course I miss you. I haven't had a chance to race yet."

Running footsteps could be heard on the stairs and then a voice cried out, "Papi!" Dom had a four second warning before Junior launched himself into Dom's lap.

"Is that your little boy Oji?" Gigi asked eagerly.

"Yes," Dom told her as he hugged Junior tightly. It was clear that they had both missed each other terribly. And Junior had grown since March. Measured footsteps could be heard descending the stairs at a leisurely pace. Yep the household was up.

"Ootosan said if I was a good girl, we could visit. Can I visit you?"

"Of course you can." Dom's eyes focused on Letty standing in front of him. Junior was clinging to his neck and he had an arm hung around the little boy's body.

"I have to go Oji Dom. I love you!"

"I love you too Gigi," he told her softly. Letty folded her arms over her full chest. Her eyes were hot but he felt his temper rising too as he looked at her distended stomach. The little girl hung up and Dom gave his son a kiss on the head. Then he let him go.

"I'm so happy you're back Papi," Junior said full of emotion. He popped up to grab his mom's arm, eager to pull her closer to get a hug too.

Letty licked her teeth slowly, "Dom."

"What the hell is this Letty?" Dom said in a false calm voice pointing to her stomach.

"In two months it will be your son or daughter."

"What are you talking about?" Dom asked bewildered.

"Papi, Mami has a baby in there!" Junior supplied eagerly placing his hand on his mom's stomach. He hoped he would feel the baby play today.

"I see that. Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"Why should they?" Letty said indifferently. There was rustling at the door as a key entered the lock. Only Junior looked at the newcomer.

"Aunt Mia, guess who is home!" Junior squealed with glee. It took Mia a few seconds to catch a look at Dom sitting on the couch. She dropped the bag she was carrying and walked in a trance to her brother who rose to catch her in a hug. He'd missed her so much.

"Oh my God Dom," she whispered into his chest, "What were you thinking?" Dom looked over at Letty who was still staring at him with a scowl on her face. Mia noticed his gaze wasn't on her and she turned to frown at Letty, "And how long have you been out of bed?"

"Don't start," Letty rolled her eyes, waddling to the armchair. Mia started fussing around, elevating Letty's legs and propping a pillow behind Letty's back.

"What is going on here?" Dom asked with more hostility than he intended.

Mia turned and shoved Dom in his chest, "You left your three month pregnant girlfriend and your three year old son here to fend for themselves for the last four months."

"And all the times I called here, you guys failed to mention this to me," Dom said his anger seeping out in some of his words.

"It wasn't their business to tell you," Letty scowled.

Mia gave them both a look then put a hand on Junior's shoulder to steer the boy to the kitchen. She started banging around loudly, the production of making Junior breakfast the cover the two remaining needed to start arguing.

"You should have called me," Dom started.

"Oh yeah, to tell you what?"

"How about you are having my baby Letty! And why didn't anyone else tell me?"

"I told them not to bother. After all, you couldn't be bothered to come home for us. Why would you care about another mouth to feed?"

"Letty you know that's not fair. You know how I feel about you and Junior."

"Funny how you show it. Running from him and cheating on me."

Dom paused. He'd forgotten the stupid lie, "Letty we need to talk."

"We're talking right now!" she shouted.

"I mean about the cheating thing," he said rubbing the back of his neck.

"Don't explain shit to me Dom. I'm no longer your concern."

"Letty, I never cheated on you. I lied and I'm sorry."

Letty gave him a sideways glance, the concession slipping from her mouth too easily, "I know you weren't cheating on me Dom."

He gave her a startled look before his eyes narrowed, "Then why all the drama Letty?"

"Because you can't keep lying to me and expecting me to figure that shit out," she huffed, throwing her hands up impatiently. Dom started pacing the floor.

"How long have you known?" he asked her absently.

"I don't know anything other than you're a shitty liar." Dom turned to give her a long hard stare. "Don't pull that crap on me Dom. Chumpy told me."

"Stupid ass Brian," Dom muttered under his breath.

"I don't know why you couldn't just tell me. Why do you hide this shit from me?"

Dom sighed, "Cause Junior needed one of his parents here."

"You don't think we would have been here?"

"That's the point Letty. You always want to ride with me. And sometime you just can't."

She gave Dom a hard smile, answering his earlier question to change the subject, "Two weeks after you left. And Leon's runnin' the garage right now. I'm only clear for light duty right now."

Junior walked in and hugged his dad's legs, happy that he was home, "Papi can I stay home with you and Mami today? Please Papi?"

Dom bent down and kissed Junior's forehead before gripping the little boy's shoulder, "Not today. I'll come to pick you up tonight after work."

Junior looked like he wanted to protest but Mia jumped in, "Get dressed Junior. I'm sure Tony, Ryan, and Casche are waiting for you before they start playing today." The moment the young boy was upstairs Mia turned on the pair, "Are you going to be able to hold your tempers around each other?" When there wasn't an answer Mia's face turned stern and her voice steely, "I'm not kidding. You're about _this_ close to losing your baby and you don't need to be stressed."

Letty rolled her eyes, "Thanks for the update Mia."

Dom let his eyes really take in the way that Letty looked. The dark circles under her eyes showed that she was worn out. Knowing how well Letty took being out of the garage during her first pregnancy, he could only imagine how annoyed she must feel on bed rest. If Mia was coming over to help her out every day then it must be more serious than routine pregnancy stress. As he watched her, Letty's eyes slowly fluttered closed and her breathing evened out.

Junior ran down the last of the stairs and back into his father's arms, "Papi!" Dom put a finger to the little boy's lips then pointed at Letty. They shared a look of understanding. Dom carried his son outside, Mia in the lead. He watched them ride down the street before staring back at the house. Dom knew, before his trip, that things would have to change. The life he'd had straddling between the instable life of his twenties and the responsibility of protecting the stability his innocent children couldn't coexist. He sighed heavily, preparing himself to endure what Letty would dish out because he wanted to make this the last time he'd hide himself from her. He'd show her that his freedom would only possible because he was free to love her, and she loved him faults and all.

* * *

She was listening to Spanish love songs. Dom smiled to himself as he watched, leaning against the doorjamb so he would remain still enough to watch her without her notice. He knew without seeing her face that she was mouthing the words to the song to herself. Usually when Dom got a chance to sneak up on her he would take the time to admire her ass. Today their nine-year old daughter Nikki was shielding it from view. Nikki's small frame plastered to her mom's back, her arms wrapped around Letty's waist, her cheek lying against Letty's back. Letty's swaying in time to the music moved Nikki who giggled when Letty put a little extra wiggle in her hips.

"Mami!" Nikki giggled.

"Let go little chica," Letty said with laughter in her voice. Nikki giggled again. Dom couldn't resist going to join in their happiness. He walked up behind them, putting his arm on Letty's shoulder to wrap it loosely around her neck. "Oh not you too," Letty joked to peals of Nikki's laughter.

He held her for a long moment, careful not to smash Nikki between them. They swayed together through another song before Nikki heard the front door open and her thirteen year old brother Junior's footsteps crashing upstairs. Nikki slipped out from between her parents and skipped towards the living room but something made her stop at the entrance, turn, then quietly peek around the corner to watch her parents.

Dom had moved even closer to Letty before asking in a low voice that carried none the less with his bass, "Marry me."

Letty laughed, rubbing her head against his chest, "No."

"Come on Lett, stop being stubborn."

"I'm not."

"You're so full of shit."

"Look, I prefer my freedom papi and so do you," she said teasing.

Dom was quiet for a several beats before he noted, "You know, most women would want to be official."

"Dom, we are official. Nothing comes between us," she said playfully pushing back to fully remove the space between them.


	6. Crushed

**Disclaimer: **Don't own. Don't sue. Thanks!

**Crushed**

The legs that popped out of the car were confident and sure. Casche watched as the red heels hit the ground quickly supporting their owner. And he thought the car was hot. He blinked a few times as the toned legs took on the task of supporting the gently curved hips, flat stomach, and high perky breasts of an extremely exotic and beautiful girl. As she shut the door to the car, her head turned to face a man that Casche had just noticed coming around the nose of the Audi convertible. Her long dark hair was loosely falling past her shoulder blades, her full lips together and yet so full and glossy they begged to be kissed. Her round but tiny nose held up huge designer sunglasses that covered the upper half of her face. In an effort not to look like he was ogling her, Casche bent down to pick up a discarded rag and wipe his grease stained hands. He took in her red shorts and a fussy top that left her stomach, arms, shoulders and a keyhole of skin between her breasts exposed.

Casche was used to seeing beautiful women in LA. And he was used to seeing nearly naked ones at the beach. But he felt his heart skip a beat when she turned her face towards him and started walking his way. Confidence oozed from her every step. She and the man walked in, and he finally noticed that the guy looked very familiar.

"Han?" Leon's voice called out over the tinker of tools at work. There was a decrease in noise as the others looked up from projects to get a good look at the newcomers.

"Surprised?" Han teased. Leon gave a shrug, coming over to shake hands with his long time friend. Within seconds Vince and Junior had joined in greeting Han. "Where's fearless leader and her sidekick Dom?"

Leon laughed, "They disappeared for 'lunch' two hours ago."

Han rolled his eyes but smiled. Vince tilted his head at the girl that was standing a few paces behind Han looking almost bored with the proceedings. Before Han could answer, the sound of two highly tuned engines roared to a stop in front of the garage. The girl turned slowly, her lips forming a large smile as Dom emerged from his car and sauntered into the garage.

"Oji," the girl said in a silky, heavily accented voice that made Casche's stomach clench. He didn't know how that one word from her would have him thinking about sex but it did. Dom reached her, pulling her into a large bear hug before gently returning her to earth. The large grin on her lips was the only indication that she was pleased by the exchange.

Letty's raised one eyebrow before drawling; "Well now I understand what all the fuss is about Han."

"That's Georgeanne!" Leon exclaimed, surprised that the young woman with super model good looks was his best friend's kid. Junior shook his head. Gigi was the hottest girl he'd ever met and from the way Casche's eyes were blazing, Junior could tell he wasn't the only one who felt that way.

"Welcome to the states Gigi," Dom said giving her shoulders a squeeze before introducing the team.

"So you're done with school," Bria asked Georgeanne the following Sunday. It was a bright baking June day and the team was gathered at the O'Connor house for dinner. Georgeanne looked over at the younger girl before turning over on the lounge chair that rimmed the pool. She adjusted herself so she could gain exposure equally to her front.

"Yes," Georgeanne responded when she'd finally adjusted her sunglasses comfortably on her face. To the crowd assembled she could look like her eyes were closed, but really she was watching them.

"Wow," Bria replied in awe, her thirteen year old mind unable to fathom graduating from high school so early. Her older brothers were seventeen and would be high school seniors in the fall.

"Come on Bree, let's swim," Nikki cajoled. She was bored laying on the lounge chairs next to her favorite cousin/best friend and the odd newcomer. The boys were splashing around in the pool and she wanted a chance to kid around with them before her Aunt Mia pulled them out to eat.

Bria pulled her hair into a ponytail then looked over at the apparently unaware Georgeanne, "Are you coming too?"

"No." Shrugging Bria and Nikki walked over to the edge of the pool before starting the cautious ritual of immersing themselves completely in the water. Forty minutes later Mia called out that dinner was ready. Sixteen people worked themselves into seats at the tables pushed together outside to accommodate the large group. The moment grace was completed, the food was attacked.

"So Mom can I finish school at sixteen too?" Bria asked Mia.

"No," Mia and Brian said together before grinning at each other.

"How's the penthouse coming along?" Jenna, Leon's wife, asked Han.

Han shook his head before pointing at Georgeanne, "Ask her."

Jenna's eyes fell on Georgeanne who shrugged delicately, "Patience for progress."

"Guess it's not done," Mia commented.

"So where are you sleeping till it's finished?" Jenna asked intrigued.

Georgeanne gave a small smirk which Han returned. Neither one had spent a night at the penthouse since they arrived, both finding alternative beds that they minimally slept in. Georgeanne's mind went back to the previous night and she knew her father hadn't slept alone in the same way he knew Georgeanne hadn't slept alone. They were too alike.

* * *

"Han, I need some money."

Han looked up from the fourth arm chair he'd okayed in the last ten minutes to raise an eyebrow at his daughter, his mind on the fifty grand he'd coughed up today. "What did I just hand you this morning?"

Gigi gave a small shake of her head, unnoticed by the eager saleswoman and her clipboard. The high end furniture and fixture store was one of the more exciting ones Gigi had canvassed in the last few weeks. While it had been fun to sleep out since they got to the States, she and Han felt that inviting the family over to an empty penthouse would be sloppy.

"How does the armchair feel, sir?" the saleswoman asked politely. She hoped the man and his girlfriend would make a large purchase, they looked rich and able.

"Expensive," Han replied before looking at his daughter, "How much?"

"20-5000 doru," _25000 dollars_.

"Sumimasenga?" _Excuse me?_

"Um, let me give you two a moment," the saleswoman hastily muttered, noting the man's tone was less than happy. She scuttled away quickly to give them some privacy.

"I'm not funding a new wardrobe right now Georgeanne," Han started, his tone even again but the message was clear.

"Jugyouryou," _School fees_ she told him, humor evident in her voice. "I mean, that was the whole point of moving here." Gigi picked up a pillow, fingering the seams and finding them too fussy for Han's tastes.

"You're starting to become really expensive," Han told her, shaking his head. Gigi crossed over to sit on the arm of the armchair and whisper in his ear.

"Do I need to…" Han shook his head, rubbing his hand loving over her hair. He knew she was going to ask if she needed to scale back the shopping trip for her tuition. Things had been lean before, but now that he was back in the States, he had access to a small fortune. The saleswoman was heading back to them and he pushed Gigi off the arm of the chair.

"Twenty minutes, then I'm leaving," he told his daughter lazily.

"Oh, well have you two come to a decision on the arm chairs?" the saleswoman asked, giving a look between the young woman and her older boyfriend. Guess they made up.

Gigi reached in her purse and produced a list with two beds, two bedside tables, a chaise lounge, large leather sofa sectional, end tables, a large ottoman, a giant wardrobe, bar stools, a dining room table complete with chairs and a sideboard, "and we'll take the oversized armchair."

The saleswoman stood in shock for a moment, clearly surprised at how organized the young woman was, and how she'd just made a fifteen grand sale without working at all. "Let's set up a delivery date."

* * *

"OH MY GAWD!" Bria's voice carried out to the group assembled in Gigi's room. She rushed out of the walk-in closet as large as bedroom, a sparkle dancing in her eyes. "Nikki, come look!" she told her favorite cousin, grabbing her hand to drag her into what Bria was beginning to feel was her personal heaven. The closet was beautiful: all four sides lined with either shelves or bars to hang clothes, built in drawers, and a large expanse of shelves filled with shoes. There was a chaise lounge in the middle of the floor, with plenty of room to fit. But if the sheer size of the closet wasn't impressive enough, the tags and labels on the clothing, jewelry, and shoes would be.

Nikki watched warily, the eleven year-old not really into girly clothes and whatnot, "Get a grip on yourself Bree."

Bria looked around conspiratorially before plucking a pair of Seven Jeans out of a lineup of hanging jeans. "Do you know how much these are?" Nikki rolled her eyes at her thirteen year-old cousin. "Don't ruin my buzz Nikki." She replaced the jeans then marched over to the shoes, gasping as she picked up a pair, "Jimmy Choo's!"

"Bria please put her stuff down," Nikki sighed, as Bria replaced the shoes and now had an expensive looking dress up to her front.

"I can't wait till I have boobs."

There was the barest hint of footsteps and Bria quickly replaced the dress as her mom poked her head in the closet, "Girls we're getting ready to…woah!"

"Yeah," Bria said knowing exactly how her mom was feeling at the moment.

Mia tried to find her dignity, "Uh, yeah. We're all going back up…are those Jimmy Choo's?" Bria nodded and Mia's eyes glazed over. "I'm a respected doctor and _I_ don't own a pair of Choo's."

"Not you too Aunt Mia," Nikki said exasperatedly.

Mia sighed heavily, shaking her head, "If only we didn't have three kids to send to college… come on girls, we're heading upstairs for dinner."

Casche watched Gigi cross the room to sit on the arm of chair Letty was occupying. The young girl ran her finger's slowly through Letty's tresses, catching the older woman off guard. Gigi leaned over to quietly whisper, "Rirakkusu oba," _Relax aunt_. Her fingers kept running slowly through Letty's hair and Casche found himself falling into a daydream, his mind conjuring images of Gigi with her hands running through his hair, over his shoulders, down his chest…

"Yo Casche," Junior called out, punching his cousin on the arm. Rather than respond, Casche slowly turned his head to stare at Junior, working to scowl in the way his father often did. Junior rolled his eyes, "You in for mini golf tonight?"

For a moment Casche was tempted to decline. And then he got a good look at Tony and Ryan's faces, recognizing that they weren't just going to play mini golf. "Who's driving?"

Ryan gave a small grin, "Why don't you meet us there."

"Time?" Junior asked playing along.

"Eight. We'll grab food after," Tony said pretending to think about it.

"After what?" Brian questioned, his eyes sweeping over the four boys.

"We're going out Uncle Bri," Junior supplied, his tone void of the sparkle it had held seconds before.

Brian gave them another look but when no one broke the silence he probed further, "Where?"

"Mini golf," Tony answered, his lips curling into a half smile, "well, after my date."

Ryan gave his twin a light punch on the arm, "And Junior and I drop Bria and Nikki off after getting ice cream."

Brian finally let his gaze rest on Casche who grumbled out, "And I need a haircut."

Brian knew there was more to the story than any of the boys were telling but he'd decided to drop it before Mia jumped in. At least his house would be kid free for a few hours. "Well what about Gigi?"

Casche's attention, which had been on his uncle returned to the brunette who was still running her hand in Letty's hair. There was a suspended moment when his breath caught as he thought of her coming with them and ruining their plans, but she stood up and stalked towards them.

"Uh hey Gigi," Junior called out to her, stopping her progress past them, "you got plans tonight?"

"What's your offer?" she countered.

"Mini golf around eight," Tony offered.

"Should I drive myself?" she said, her mouth forming a small pout that Casche instantly knew was for Brian's effect.

"No. One of the boys should drive you so you don't get lost," Brian threw out, grinning at the thought of putting a wrench in their plans. He never thought for a second that they were just going to play mini golf.

Ryan chuckled and commented under his breath, "I wouldn't mind taking her for a ride."

Casche felt his jaws clench so tight that he had to ground out an audible response, "Seven forty-five. Be ready."

'_Shit'_, Casche thought to himself as he pulled up outside of the high rise building Han and Georgeanne had made their home. As he waited he let his mind wander to the job he had to do tonight. After the panic from the unexpected addition had subsided, Tony had reminded the others that they could still actually go to play mini golf. But Junior had offered a compromise: Casche could see if Gigi could keep their secret. If she could, they would go with original plan A. If she couldn't, then they'd concede defeat and golf with her. He didn't mind having the decision on her trustworthiness be left to him. What worried him was being alone with her with his heart pounding, his interest in her coming out by accident.

Before there was time for him to worry any longer her hand was on the door handle. In less than fifteen seconds she was in the car and strapped in. Rather than look at her for too long, he sped off towards the mini golf place where his cousins were going to gather for his verdict. At the first red light he looked over to see her fingers flashing across her phone, constructing a text message. She didn't look bored or curious so he took it as a sign she wasn't bothered by the silence or their destination. The moment the light turned green he sped off again deciding that he needed to speed up his interrogation but she beat him to it.

"Would you prefer I find some friends so the four of you can go do whatever it is you want to do?" she asked bluntly but he could hear the smile in her voice too.

"Depends."

"On?"

"How good a friend you are to us."

She let the statement hang as he approached another red light. When he turned his face to look for her reaction, she me his blue eyes with her smoky ones. His pulse began to race, his tongue absently tracing his lips. He wanted to lean over and kiss her but he noticed the light change out of the corner of his eye so he resumed driving.

"It's ironic. All our parents race but you hide it."

Casche felt a laugh bubbling up inside but he tamped down on that urge, "_Raced_. Past tense."

"I don't peg Vince as one to care."

Casche shrugged, "He probably wouldn't but the others…"

He pulled into the parking lot of the mini golf center, cutting the engine before he focused completely on her face again. The glow from the harsh lights that were becoming more visible as the sun set completely didn't detract from her looks. She leaned in making him tense up in anticipation but she whispered in his ear, her chest pressing into his to torture him.

"Here's to friendship." It took Casche a moment to realize that she had already pulled back before he began breathing again. They exited the car to join Ryan, Tony, and Junior.

"So…" Junior started but Casche just nodded. A large smile split Junior's face, "Hell yeah."

"Welcome girl," Ryan added throwing his arm around Gigi's shoulder, before turning towards the entrance to the center.

Tony sensed her confusion and sought to reassure her, "After the inquisition earlier, we decided to actually play and create a paper trail just in case."

The five of them rented clubs and balls, proceeding to the first tee. Gigi ended up going last, giving Casche a chance to stare at her legs made longer by her high heels. She bent over slightly and he watched her shiny shorts slide up to show a hint of the ass they incased. Her hair brushed over her shoulders, the vest top she wore showing off her back, arms, stomach, and plenty of her chest. She looked better than any sixteen year old girl should look. He watched her swing, giving the ball enough energy to propel it inches from the hole.

"Remind me that I want you on my team next time we play," Ryan said whistling before going to take his second shot.

"Teams?" Gigi asked perplexed.

"Yeah, sometimes we play as teams, usually when everyone is here," Junior supplied.

"But tonight we need to waste time so…" Tony added as he went to take his second shot. She watched as they all sunk their balls during their second turns then followed suit. As they played all eighteen holes, Gigi found herself loosening up as the guys joked with her. She had to keep an eye on Casche and Junior though. They weren't as scrupulous as Tony and Ryan, often giving their balls and extra tap or kicking them a bit when they thought no one was looking. Once the game was over and they declared Junior the winner, they sauntered out to the parking lot.

"I'm hungry," Casche grumbled. It was both truthful and an excuse for them to burn more time. Races didn't start till eleven, the crowd getting together about an hour before then. Tony looked at his watch, noticing that is was only nine thirty.

"Let's hit up that diner around the corner," Junior suggested.

Tony raised an eyebrow at Gigi, "Uh, you ok to walk in those for a few blocks?"

"I'll manage."

They traipsed five or six blocks before entering a little diner. They piled into curved booth in the back that could hold them, giving them a clear view of whole place including the middle aged waiter who recognized the boys at once from their frequent trips there.

"What will it be?" the waiter said inclining his head in a friendly gesture.

"Well Davey, I could use a bacon cheeseburger with fries," Tony said grinning.

"Me too," Ryan joined in.

Junior laughed, "You know I'm down."

Casche nodded his head in agreement. Finally Davey looked at Gigi who was staring at the menu, "You have any yogurt?"

Davey caught his mouth gaping and shut it quickly, "Yeah plain, vanilla, and strawberry."

"Vanilla is good. And I'll have the same burger but no fries or bun."

Once Davey went to place their order with the kitchen, Ryan exclaimed, "Damn girl how do you survive?"

Gigi shrugged, her shoulder rubbing against Casche's, "Mostly yogurt."

Casche worried that Gigi would be fussy but other than the odd food request, she was surprisingly easy to get along with. She didn't try to eat food off his plate like some girls he'd taken out before. She laughed and joked with them and even threw in money to pay the tab. Stomachs full they returned to the mini golf parking lot to get the cars, the time now ten fifteen. It was late enough for them to show up. Gigi joined him for the ride over to the meeting spot, an abandoned hangar near the shipping docks. He heard her rustling pockets then glanced over to see her adding lip gloss to her tempting mouth.

"Do me a favor," Casche told her as they pulled in next to Tony and Ryan. Gigi gave him a shadowed look and he continued, "Stick close."

He expected protest but she surprised him by nodding once then exiting the car. He was able to saunter to the hood of his car before a crowd of people came over to welcome them. Casche had to admit that there were perks to being the offspring of the famed Team Toretto. It cloaked them in a mystique that allowed them to race who they wanted when they wanted. Plus it helped that he, Ryan, and Tony had won more of the races than they'd lost. Unlicensed Junior had yet to race but he was living up to the reputation his father had as a teenager of being a shameless flirt with a roving eye.

"Hey Junior," a blonde smiled brightly at the youngest member of their team.

"Hannah," he greeted, pulling her into a quick hug. "Who's your friend?"

Hannah giggled pulling her equally blonde friend over, "This is Penny. Pen this is that sexy guy I was telling you about." Casche felt his eyes internally roll even though he kept his face smooth. Junior shook hands with Penny.

She giggled then leaned into Junior, "I see what Hannah meant. There _is_ enough of you to handle us both at the same time." She reached into Junior's pocket, pulling out his cell and entering her number then turned, pulling her friend with her.

Ryan clapped Junior on the back, "Damn. I wanna be like you when I grow up."

Gigi watched a heavyset man approach them, quickly revealing himself to be the organizer of the races. He asked if any of them wanted to race, providing a lineup of guys that were up Casche's alley. Mean cusses with more fire power than skill. Easy pickings. Having four racers for the initial heat, the crowd began to move out, effectively closing off a street five minutes away from their meeting place.

Casche felt as he watched his cousins sipping their beer after his victory on the blacktop that life probably wouldn't get any better than this. There was a girl on each of his arms. A wonderfully vivacious redhead with pretty eyes and next to no clothes on was feeling him up on his right while a curvy vivacious brunette was standing on his left. As he surveyed the crowd, he vaguely returned his thoughts to Gigi. His cousins had made sure to keep her close by during the races and the meets before them. However, once at the party the guys split up deciding that they would like to find girls to spend the after race time with.

Casche gave himself a chance to casually scan the room looking for her. He told himself he was just watching out for her but really he had to admit to himself that he almost had an unhealthy obsession with the young woman. After a few moments Casche was rewarded for his observation. He turned to see Gigi leaning over talking by the fireplace, her body so close to the woman next to her it seemed as if she was leaning over her. He watched as Gigi took the young woman's hair, casually flipping it over her shoulder, leaning in to whisper something intimate. The girl flushed. At that moment Ryan and Tony showed up pushing along a slightly tipsy Junior.

"Hey Man, you ready to go?" Tony asked checking his watch. They couldn't stay out too late trying to keep in concert with their original story of going to mini golf and having a late meal. Casche swilled his more than half full beer around, giving it a look, then glancing at the two women beside him, before staring at his cousin.

"Just about" he said lazily.

Junior had a moment to look around then asked, "WherezziszzGeeGee?" his words slurring together.

This wasn't good. Junior would have to stay at his place tonight. Vince probably wouldn't yell but his uncle Dom would definitely get upset that Junior had been drinking. Well more like his aunt Letty would raise enough hell that his uncle Dom would have to do something about Junior. The assembled group turned to see Gigi leaning in towards the girl again, this time tracing her finger lightly down the girls throat, over her collarbone and stop just where the girls dress swelled over the tops of her chest.

The movement struck Casche as very sensual. And he almost forgot that they were still standing in a crowded room as he watched the young girl lean over and whisper in Gigi's ear. The way Gigi was standing reminded Casche vaguely of something but he didn't have time to think about it as Gigi finally pushed away from the wall to return to their side, a small smirk slanting across her mouth.

"Are we ready to go?" she asked noticing a slightly weaving Junior and the rest of the assembled group. Tony nodded, his face not as blank as it normally could be. It seemed he was as shocked as the others at the little display they had just witnessed. Casche pushed away from the wall, not bothering to say anything to the girls standing next to him and gently steered Gigi out of the house in front of him, Tony and Ryan gently guiding Junior to Ryan's car. The guys guided Junior over to Casche's car and then Casche gave Gigi a look. He wanted to take her home and yet at the same time he was afraid that his feelings had been more exposed than he expected them to be. Thankfully she decided that in the interest of time she would have Tony take her home, so Casche could get an inebriated Junior into bed.

Something was strange. Since the first occurrence of the pricking on his senses at the party he'd been careful to be on the lookout for the trigger. Casche couldn't put his finger on it but the feeling intensified as he watched Gigi, Nikki, and Bria playing volleyball on the sand with some random girls. It was another sunny day in LA and the whole family was spending this Sunday at the beach. He and the guys were pretending that they were too cool to play with the girls which afforded him the opportunity to work on a tan he really didn't need and to 'keep his effin' eyes open' as Vince liked to say. He watched as Bria went to serve then laughed as the ball hit the net and she stomped her foot. Catching himself before anyone asked what he was laughing about, he glanced quickly at the open magazine in front of him, turning another page idly then risking another look.

Casche decided to catalog his three female 'cousins'. He wasn't related to any of the girls by blood but he knew that if age wasn't a factor, he still wouldn't see Bria or Nikki as anything other than family. He attributed it to growing up with them, watching out for them in the same way their brothers had. But Gigi…she was exotic, sexy. She knew how to handle herself, could keep a secret, didn't ask you to reveal your own. She had a natural gift for attracting others that made her nearly irresistible. But it didn't help him figure out what was a little _off _about her. Apparently Bria and Nikki's team won as the girls yelled and started hi-fiving their team mates. As the younger girls began to rejoin them he watched Gigi accept the ball from a cute dark-haired girl who had been on her team. Although she facing away from him, he noticed how Gigi leaned in to say something that had the girl giggling. In less than a minute the girl whipped out her phone, clearly taking Gigi's number. As the girl walked away, joining her friends, Gigi turned around and Casche's nerves began to tingle, not exactly disturbed but close to it at the half smirk that shadowed the brunette's face.

"Next time just play with us," Nikki said grinning at her brother though Casche could have sworn she was talking to him. Junior gave his sister a small shove but she just laughed.

Bria joined in teasing, "Yeah. How will you meet girls layin' in the sand?"

Casche felt his heart stop then painfully begin beating harder. That's what had been bothering him. He put the pieces together: the way she never took up any offers from guys, the extreme closeness to the girl at the party, giving her number to the dark-haired girl.

"That girl seemed really friendly Gigi," Jenna commented. Apparently he wasn't the only one who'd watched the match.

"Yes," Gigi replied, the smirk having slowly ebbed out of her features, "she offered to play with me later."

For a wild moment Casche let his eyes rove the group, looking to see if Vince had understood the double entendre. Han smile said he certainly had. Gigi walked over to Jenna, leaning over to brush Jenna's hair behind her shoulder. "Are you up for a round too?"

Jenna's eyes got wide and she blinked in shock, "Uh…"

"Georgeanne!" The sharp command in Han's voice made her stand up.

She looked at her father, shrugging her shoulders, "Han."

"Kuru," _Come_. She walked over to Han who made eye contact with her briefly before he waved her away, "Go bother someone else." She made a face that clearly posed a question and even though he didn't see it, Han added, "Go swim."

For a moment, Gigi's mouth grew tightly into a frown but she stripped off her shorts to expose her bikini. By the time she whipped her t-shirt over her head, her indifferent face was back on. She tossed her sunglasses at Junior who laughed, standing to join her.

"You coming?" Junior asked Casche who shrugged then threw down his magazine. Might as well join in. Tony, Ryan, Bria and Nikki joined the group and together they went down to play in the surf.

"Oji Dom," '_Uncle Dom'_ Gigi called out, pushing her sunglasses up into her hair, "have you _ever_ looked at your invoices?"

Casche's ears perked up as they usually did whenever she was near. He could hear Junior's tools pause and knew the younger man was listening too.

"Sometimes," Dom said casually, wiping his hands on a rag.

Casche could tell from the click of her heels that she was coming closer, "Oji, I could write myself a check and you wouldn't notice."

"Have you?" Dom asked lazily?

"Yes," she said with humor in her voice. Letty and Leon laughed.

"Seriously?"

"Well I am a poor college student…" she trailed off.

Dom snatched the clipboard out of her hands, "Lemme see that."

Gigi smiled, holding in her laughter. Whatever got him to look over the financials. That was the most important thing. Besides she hadn't written the check for much. He flipped to the check, his eyes looking at her then laughed.

"I'll sign these invoices, but I ain't signing that check," he said in his deep rumbling voice. Casche heard Junior snicker from the next car over.

"What if I erase three zeroes?" Gigi teased.

Dom pretended to consider her offer, "Sounds like a better deal."

Dom's footsteps went back to the car he was working on and Casche expected the click of the heels to retreat back into the sunshine where she'd been working on invoices all day. Instead they came closer, stopping when she was right next to him. He was working to remove tires for a rotation so his face was level with her legs when he looked at her. She bent over to whisper in his ear, letting her hair brush over his shoulder and chest, her lips parted to wash warm breath on his cheek.

"Tony and Ryan texted earlier. Want to play mini golf tonight?"

"We eating before or after?" Casche said slipping into the code they'd created. Before meant they were just going to play mini golf but after meant they would be going to race.

"After," she said and Casche felt his breathing speed up. Her lips had accidentally brushed his ear. He wanted to grab the back of her neck, kiss her silly, but refrained.

"Be ready at seven forty-five," he said, refusing to back away. She straightened up then went to convey the message to Junior.

* * *

Tony put his hands on his knees, forcing himself to draw in slow deep breaths, "Damn we should have played mini golf."

Ryan tried to laugh while taking deep breaths but was unable to catch enough breath.

"That would have been boring," Junior said huffing. Casche looked over at Gigi who was staring at her shoes. The heel of one was broken beyond repair.

"Well at least we were close to the beach," Tony added, "Good alibi." The races had been interrupted by cops, forcing them to scatter. After ten minutes, Tony called and told them to meet up at a secluded part of the beach. Once there he, Ryan, and Junior had decided to run to catch up with Casche and Gigi who'd arrived first. She tossed the shoes into a nearby trashcan.

"Sorry 'bout your shoes Gigi," Junior told her but she just shrugged.

"I broke them running from the police, not you. It's not your fault."

"So what now?" Ryan asked. They tended to stay away from parties if the cops were patrolling for racers. Why tempt fate with underage drinking too? The waves crashed against the sand, the sound soothing after the whinny sound of sirens.

"Let's go swimming," Ryan suggested.

Tony pushed his twin lightly, "What so someone can drown instead of being arrested? No thanks."

Up ahead two cops were patrolling the boardwalk. Casche looked at Tony who led the way down to the beach. Once there the guys stripped off their shoes and they all let their feet sink into the still warm sand.

"Race you to the water's edge," Junior taunted and the sprint began. Gigi was quickly falling behind and Casche grabbed her hand as he'd done earlier that night, pulling her forward with him. He heard her laugh as her feet hit the cold wet sand.

Ryan laughed too grabbing Tony's head in a headlock, "You cheater."

"You'll always be second best to me little bro," Tony teased. He was older than his twin by minutes.

Junior came behind Gigi scooping her up, "Feel like taking a swim Gigi?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck, "You first."

Casche grinned as Junior laughed then dropped her legs so her ankles were covered in the surf. She laughed too, wrapping her arms tighter around Junior's neck. Once the water receded she let go, quickly skipping higher up the sand so less of the cool water would cover her feet. After a few more minutes they decided to walk along the waters edge, just joking and laughing. Racing was always exciting but escaping the cops had made them giddy. Soon they were trading first time stories: driving, drinking, partying. And inescapably they got on the subject of sex. Casche never had a problem talking about it before with the guys and for a moment he thought it would get awkward having Gigi there but she took the stories in good grace.

Finally Ryan asked her, "So Gigi when's the first time you did it?"

"Last year," she said softly, a twinge of hurt in her voice.

Junior put his arm around her shoulder, "You leave behind a boyfriend?"

Gigi laughed then coughed to try and get herself under control, "Are you serious?"

Tony spoke up, "Dude, she's Han's kid. She probably doesn't do relationships."

Gigi was still laughing, "No I don't do relationships."

Ryan looked over at her, "What's so funny?"

"She doesn't do men." Casche's statement made them all stop walking. Ryan's mouth dropped open in surprise.

"No shit!" Junior exclaimed causing them all to laugh.

Once they calmed down, Tony asked, "Seriously?"

"Yes," she said turning to face him before tilting her head to one side, "I've never been with a guy ever."

"You're not interested at all?" Ryan quipped. She shook her head. "Damn."

"What?" she asked confused.

"Now I have one more person to compete with for girls," Ryan muttered. Tony shoved him lightly.

They arrived back at the steps to the boardwalk, brushing off as much sand as possible before the guys put on their shoes. Junior looked down at Gigi's bare feet as if contemplating a complex math problem. Casche picked her up, cradling the girl to his chest for the walk back to their cars. After all, with his suspicions confirmed, this was the closest he'd ever get to having Gigi. And when he laid down to sleep that night he knew that his heart would always be crushed.


	7. Missed

**Disclaimer: **Don't own. Don't sue. Thanks!

**Missed**

Junior watched his mom fluidly hand Nic a napkin before halting the progress of Gio's glass that was about to tip over. It was times like these when he saw how competent she handled his boys that he missed Lena.

Lena. Lena was everywhere to him. She had been everything to him. Her death hadn't stopped her from existing in their sons. Nic really favored Junior but sometimes Gio's actions really brought up memories of her.

Junior and Lena had gone to school together and pretty much ignored each other until sophomore year. The first day they truly talked, he had been in the girls bathroom feeling up a cheerleader whose name he always had trouble recalling. The door had flung open, closing shut seconds later. The girl had gone from pliant to stiff in an instant, scared of being caught. But she didn't have anything to worry about. They heard the sad sobs coming from their intruder and it didn't sound like they were going to stop soon. Feeling resigned that this had killed the mood Junior had motioned for the cheerleader to walk out. He'd wait till the other girl finished her crying before he followed. He heard the door open and close, the sobbing girl not bothering to try and hide her grief from a stranger.

It took ten minutes for the girl to finally cry herself out. The faucet came on and he heard her splashing water on face. She ripped towels from the dispenser, drying her face before silencing the water. He heard her taking deep breaths then fumble through her bag. How long could she take in here? He needed to leave soon so he could catch the city bus home before his parents got there. The girl finished doing whatever she was doing, probably painting her face. The door opened then closed. Breathing a sigh of relief he exited the stall to see the girl still standing in the bathroom, her hand on the handle to the door, facing away from him. She must have felt his presence because she turned her head slowly, her mouth opening but producing no sound.

"Lena?" Junior knew her. She lived not too far from them, just a few streets over. They rode the bus to school together. What the hell had her crying like her life was over?

"Why are you in here?" she whispered.

"I like listening to you cry."He told her ignoring the truth. Lena blushed, moving her hair to cover her face. He walked over to her looking at the door handle. "Is there some reason we can't leave the bathroom right now?"

She shook her head, pulling the door open quickly to rush out into the hallway. Junior followed at a more sedate pace to give her time to escape. He looked at his watch. Shit. He was about to miss the bus. Breaking into a run he made it up the street just as the bus looked ready to pull off. He was running flat out now, his breath coming in pants but the bus kept moving. Defeated he stopped, his hands coming to rest on his thighs as he bent to catch his breath.

"We missed the bus," Lena said out of breath from behind him. He looked over his shoulder to give her one raised eyebrow. She was really being very obvious today. Since he was closer to the bench, he plopped down there first. Lena approached the bench setting her bag down. She started to pace. He closed his eyes. Just a few more months and he'd be seventeen and have his full license. His mind started to go down the list of all the reasons he could give his dad to get him a car. His parents hadn't made a decision on that yet. He had a sneaking suspicion it had to do with his poor grades.

"Junior?" Lena's soft voice intruded into his thoughts. He didn't open his eyes.

"What?" His question had come off sounding bored.

"You've had a lot of sex right?" The question had caught him off guard, his eyes popping open to look at her. He gave a harsh bark of laughter to cover his surprise.

"What?"

She had the grace to blush. "I mean, I'm assuming you have considering you had that girl in the bathroom with you." Well he couldn't fault her. She was smart.

"I wasn't having sex with that girl in the bathroom."

"Oh." She looked ashamed.

"I mean I have had sex," he hastened to explain. She gave him a funny look, her mouth working to find how to salvage the conversation. "Look is there a particular reason you're asking me about my sex life?"

She took a deep breath, "Yep."

He gave her a piercing look to get her to get a move on, "And that is?"

"Do guys prefer virgins over girls with experience?"

"I don't know," he said in agitation. He'd never been a girls first before. Lena took a small step back. "Why are you asking me this?"

"You're experienced. I know you but we're not friends. And you're not a boy trying to get into my pants. I figured I'd get the truth," she explained.

His eyes narrowed, "Lena, is some boy trying to pressure you for sex?"

She blushed again. It was enough of an answer for him. It made his skin crawl. Junior may be a lot of things, but he didn't like the thought of guys pressuring girls to give it up. It bothered him, probably more so because he had Nikki and Bria to watch over.

"Who?" he growled. Lena was from his neighborhood. They might not be close but he felt it was his duty to at least look out for her too. She squinted, trying to keep the tears from springing to her eyes.

"It doesn't matter. We broke up." The tears spilled from her eyes. Junior looked like a deer caught in headlights. The women in his family just didn't cry as a first response. They yelled. They threw punches. But you had to do a heck of a lot to make them cry.

"Jeez, pull yourself together," he told her as he sprung to his feet. He grasped her in an awkward one-armed hug. She buried her face in his chest. He just rocked her until the bus came. Feeling that he shouldn't leave her alone with her grief he tugged her behind him, shoving her into the seat by the window towards the end of the bus before taking the one right beside her. They didn't talk. He absently held her hand giving it a pat intermittently throughout the ride. When they arrived at the stop they needed she looked calmer. At least her eyes were dry.

"Look, this is going to sound really corny coming from me," Junior started as the bus rumbled away from them, "but guys are assholes. They'll do just about anything to get into a girl's pants. So do yourself a favor and save your virginity for a time when you're really ready. Cool?"

Lena looked at him through her brown eyes nodding, "Thanks Junior for being so…"

She didn't know how to sum up the last few hours she'd spent in his company. It was later than they normally came home so the sun was starting to set. Lena impulsively stood on her toes to give him a hug, wrapping her arms around his neck. Wow was he big. She leaned closer so she wouldn't have to strain on her toes quite as much and she felt him suck in a deep breath. He was so warm, his weight so solid and dependable. She felt his arms wrap around her and she buried her face in his neck. Warm breath fanned over his neck, causing his pressure to skyrocket. Desire for her caught him off guard. She seemed to feel it too. She pressed closer. He could feel her breasts flattening against his chest, her hips laying against his, her front cradling his and the straining evidence that he was turned on.

"Lena," he said raggedly, bending down to touch his lips lightly to her neck. She wiggled against him and he groaned. It shook him. He'd never felt this way about a girl before. _'Why her? Why now?'_ Startled he released her and she lowered herself back to the heels of her feet. He wanted to reach out and grab her again. Suddenly he wanted to cup her breasts and her ass. To make sure she felt as crazy as he did. He wanted to screw her brains out. Feeling off balanced and slightly repulsed at himself he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Later," he called before turning to head towards home. He refused to look behind him to see if she'd left or not. Hadn't he just spent the last few hours pissed that some other guy from school was trying to worm his way into her pants? He hadn't even felt attracted to her until she'd hugged him. At least that's what he told himself. Perhaps it was a fluke, something involuntary because he'd be interrupted earlier. Finally settling on being angry with himself, Junior walked the rest of the way home briskly. He wasn't feeling anything other than his anger when he walked into the house.

Nikki looked up from the TV to stare at her brother. For a moment she battled with the taunt she'd been saving for him ever since she'd realized he was going to be late. But the expression he wore screamed that he was spoiling for a fight. She smirked. She may be twelve but she was old enough to appreciate the sanity of picking your battles. Let mom or dad set him off. She'd sit back and watch the fireworks explode in his corner for a change.

"Junior! Get in here," their dad bellowed from the kitchen. _'Ah, sweet victory,' _thought Nikki.

Junior stomped into the kitchen to face his father who was just closing the oven as he approached. His face fell. Oh shit.

"Dad, I forgot," he started but his dad cut him off with a glare.

"You know, I don't ask you to do much Junior. So guess how pissed am I when I come home from work and the lasagna isn't in the oven like I asked," Dom said in a casually calm voice. The tone and delivery were deceptive. Dom was seething underneath. He folded his arms ready to hear his son come up with excuses.

"I don't know what to tell you. I forgot," Junior said trying for the calm his father exuded but coming off as sounding flippant.

"You're beginning to forget a lot lately. You've been arriving late not only here but at the garage too. So what is it this time? Or should I say who is it this time?" His dad hadn't moved or modulated his voice but Junior felt himself get uncomfortable all the same. He'd had a feeling that his dad knew he was sleeping around even though they hadn't talked about it. That comment was confirmation.

"I stayed late after school and missed the earlier bus. Happy?" Junior ground out. His anger was already at the surface. He wasn't as good as his dad at keeping it under wraps.

"Watch it," Dom warned. He wasn't in the mood to be sassed.

Feeling it would be best for him to leave the room before he crossed the line, Junior forced himself to apologize, "I'm sorry. I'll really work on getting to places on time. Can I go start my homework now?"

"Sure. But I'll expect to see you at the garage from now through the end of the month immediately after school," Dom ordered giving his son an assessing look.

Junior normally didn't have a problem going to work in the garage. It was one of his favorite places. Or it had been before he's started pretending to stay after school to work his way through the female population. Three weeks of doing grunt work for his father, under careful watch as punishment was less appealing.

"But what about after school tutoring?" Junior blurted out, grasping at straws.

"Obviously it's not helping so you won't miss it," Dom replied. The barb was well placed.

"Fine!" Junior shouted in frustration. He turned on his heel, pushing past Nikki in his haste to run up the stairs and away from his dad before he really lost it. He bumped into his mom on his way up.

"Yo chumpy, we could use salad and garlic bread with dinner," she said staring him in the eye. It wasn't a suggestion. She wanted him to go back downstairs when he was feeling like this?

"I'm supposed to be doing homework."

"No you were _supposed _to be here helping with dinner."

"Why couldn't Nikki do it?" he asked savagely.

"Nikki was where I told her she could be. And why should she do the shit you're supposed to be doing?" his mom said, her voice rising slightly in volume. She was pissed too.

"Fuck it! I just can't win," Junior threw his hands in the air, turning to stomp back downstairs. He banged around in the kitchen: finding the salad bowl, chopping the fixings, even setting the table. He kept an eye on the lasagna his Aunt Mia had brought over this morning. She sometimes made too much food which would find its way to their house on her way to work. When dinner was finally ready he ate quickly, hoping to keep his mouth too full so he couldn't dig his hole deeper. He had added once a week dinner duty till summer already for cursing at his mom. Finally Junior made it to the sanctuary of his room. He didn't bother to do his homework in defiance of his parents. Instead he stripped to his boxers, trying to force himself to sleep. And sleep came, at least for a while. But it was punctuated by dreams of Lena crying and him punching different guys in the face.

Five weeks later Junior was walking from Toretto's Café, a bag of rice and seasoning in his hand. He'd been in the kitchen planning his meal for the night when he realized they were out of those things. He was coming up on the corner where the bus stop was when he noticed Lena stepping off the bus. She would have to walk towards him to get home. Great. After that day with the talk and the crying he'd gone back to ignoring her. She'd done the same. He'd even stopped thinking about her.

Lena approached him, a smile on her face. He felt himself give her a grin in return. He took in her brown hair with red highlights that hadn't been there before. It was cut shorter around her face, making her look older than sixteen. She was wearing jeans, a long tight shirt that curved over hips and a short jacket. He stuck his fingers in the space between one of her gigantic hooped earrings. She looked cute.

"Are they big enough?" he joked. Her shoulders trembled as she silently giggled.

"Yeah. How's it going?"

"Good. You been in the bathroom crying lately?"

"Not recently," she countered easily. They shrugged, not clear on what to say.

"Well I'll see you around. I gotta get dinner on the table," he said, starting to move past her.

"Oh yeah? What's for dinner?"

"Chicken and rice," he made a face, "I hope it turns out ok."

"It will. It's really easy."

"Is this where I Tom Sawyer you into cooking the meal for me?" Junior and Lena laughed.

"Do you need me to?" she offered playfully. Junior thought about it for a second.

"Actually, I could use the help." Lena turned the words over in her mind before nodding. They walked to the Toretto house in a comfortable silence. Nikki was surprised to see Lena walk in the house. Junior never brought girls here.

"Lena, this is my sister Nikki. Nik, this is Lena. She's gonna help me with dinner," he introduced before shuffling Lena down the hall and into the kitchen. They washed their hands then set to cooking, Lena stepping back to let Junior do most of the work. She'd taken off her jacket although her boots made her slightly taller than she'd been before. Junior found himself very aware of her. He followed her advice, soaking the rice while he browned the chicken. Once he'd finished with the meat, he added the rice and seasoning to the pan, letting it all simmer together.

"Well at any rate it will smell good," he told her twenty minutes later as they began to clean up the small mess he'd made. She smiled easily.

"I'm glad. So we're even now."

"Even?"

"Well I figured I owed you since you answered my questions that day," she responded moving to hug him. She pulled herself flush against him and his hormones kicked in. "Thanks Junior," her words whispered over his lips.

"Fuck," he whispered before capturing her lips with his. His tongue was in her mouth in less than five seconds. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her tighter to him so he could feel the delicious pressure of her breasts flattened against his chest. She sighed into his mouth and he ran his hands up her back, his palms teasing the sides of her breasts. He wanted to feel them completely in his hands but wasn't ready to give up the position of their bodies. Wiggling against him, she hummed. He felt a sizzle of heat go through him. His hands slid down to cup her ass, pushing her against him. Sliding her slightly up his body, he groaned into the side of her neck at the teasing punch it gave him in his stomach. She was breathing fast, the sound of his name coming out ragged and needy.

"Lena," he growled before reclaiming her lips. She kissed him hungrily. Junior was making her feel tingly all over and she didn't want it to stop. She wanted to feel more of him but her arms were trapped he was holding her so tightly. Instead she did the next best thing and slid her right leg up to bracket his, pushing their hips closer. His response was instant. His hands went under her shirt to fumble with the clasp on her bra and he backed her against the counter, pulling away long enough to pull her breasts into his palms. Another moaned escaped her and rocked her hips. Grinding into her, his moves involuntary he started chanting.

"Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Oh fuck." Junior had never been this turned on, this fast in his life. He didn't want to stop dry humping her. It felt so good. He felt her breath hitch, the moans getting faster and wilder and he knew that nothing was going to stop him from going off. He was going to unload right in his pants in his parent's kitchen with his sister in the other room. His sister. Shit.

"Lena," he whispered in her ear, moving his hands reluctantly from her breasts. She whined a bit when he pulled away. "We can't do this right now."

Lena opened her eyes, hazy with lust. The look she levied him made him want to forget, to finish right now. He felt really close. He really, really, really wanted to. Forcing himself to push away, to look away he stepped back. Lena felt confused by his decision to pull away. This is not where she had felt they were heading. Her body was thrumming with adrenaline. She missed the delicious pressure he'd been making with their hips pressed together. She didn't make a move to right herself, her bra half on, her shirt bunched up over her breasts. The cool air on her nipples was causing a different, but equally interesting sensation.

The sound of two highly tuned engines pulling into the driveway broke the spell. Junior turned her, clasping her bra fast and righting her shirt. He was still breathing heavy but now it looked like he was trying to regulate it. He tried to right her hair but his touches became frantic. He looked like he wanted to muss it some more.

"I can't," he said through gritted teeth. His erection was still strong, tenting his pants noticeably. She felt heady, knowing she could do this to him. She combed her fingers through her hair, moving to grab her jacket and bag. Junior moved to the stove to hide his front as his parents walked through the kitchen door.

"Hi Mr. and Mrs. Toretto," she called out hastily. She didn't know that his parents weren't married. Letty was used to the misconception and didn't bother to correct the clearly flustered girl. Lena didn't even say goodbye to him, rushing out the back door so fast she almost stumbled down the stairs.

"We'll talk about this later," Dom said in a tone that promised the third degree. Junior nodded, silently trying to catch his breath. He felt feverish, out of control. The moment his parents walked out of the room he let out a deep breath. He set the table and was already seated when the rest of the family showed up.

"So who was that?" Letty asked.

"He said her name was Lena," Nikki said, her face smug. Junior felt it would be better for him to concentrate on his plate.

"_That_ was little Lena Morales, Hector's niece?" Dom said in surprise. Hector was a friend of his. They went way back. Junior started picking apart his rice grain by grain.

"What was she doing here?" Letty was fishing for information. She wanted to know why her son looked like he'd been electrocuted when they first walked through the door.

"She gave me instructions on how to make dinner," Junior responded carefully.

"That all she gave you?" Dom interjected to cut Letty off.

Junior frowned, "yeah."

"And what did you give her?" Letty asked staring at her son. She guessed he was sleeping around. It was bound to happen since he _was_ Dominic Toretto's kid. Letty remembered how fast Dom had moved through girls when he was sixteen.

"Nothing. Jeez."

"She left here pretty fast over nothing," Letty commented, smirk firmly in place.

"Probably 'cause he fastened her bra up all wrong," Nikki quipped. She could be such an instigator. Junior kicked her leg under the table. "Ow!"

Feeling nothing but irritation, he started shoveling food in his mouth at top speed. But Nikki wasn't done yet, bolstered by her smarting shin.

"Oh Lena!" she taunted, mocking him.

"Fuck you!"

"You'd think after all the action you got today you'd be worn out," Nikki threw back.

Hands shaking, Junior placed his fork down on the edge of his plate. He was so angry with Nikki. "I didn't screw anybody in the kitchen," he ground out. He'd come very, very close but he hadn't succumbed.

"Sure sounded like it," Nikki taunted. Dom and Letty gave their son looks that let him know he was busted.

Angrily he dumped the last bit of his dinner in the trash, threw his plate in the sink, and marched upstairs. Nikki just _had_ to get their parents started. Once in his room, he pulled out his math textbook. He had to turn in some homework for this class before he failed. He was in the middle of problem ten when his dad opened the door. They stared at each other, neither really sure how they wanted to approach the topic. The last sex talk they'd had two years ago had been along the lines of _'Wrap it up and don't bring them here.'_

Feeling uncomfortable Junior reiterated, "I didn't screw Lena Morales in the kitchen."

Dom was unable to keep the smile from his face. His son looked so much like him. If Dom had been younger they could have passed for twins. Junior's subtle differences were around his nose and mouth. He had gotten more of those from his mom than him. Junior's temper was very much Letty's too. She had a much harder time working to keep it controlled, nonchalance a skill she'd spent a lot of time perfecting in her youth. Junior turned back to his book irritably.

"Junior, you are wearing condoms with these girls right?" Junior's mouth fell open, hanging lopsided for a few seconds. That was not the way this conversation had been going in his mind.

"Yeah Dad," he said in a long suffering way.

"I'd really appreciate it if you didn't have sex here," Dom continued.

"I know. Am I in trouble?"

"What for?"

"Nikki," Junior said in way of explanation. He'd leveled a pretty good kick to her shin. She must have told by now. Dom laughed.

"Nah. Maybe she'll figure out how to watch her mouth."

Junior woke the following morning deciding that he didn't really like Lena all that much. He's spent most of the night tossing and turning, unable to sleep more than a few minutes before his dreams filled with her. Feeling wound up, he decided to make the quick walk to Toretto's café. If he caught his Uncle Brian or Aunt Mia opening up shop he could catch a ride with them home for pancakes before school. He was always able to talk Aunt Mia into making them for him. His strides were confident as he made his way up the street, he even passed the public bus stop. Nearly there. He debated crossing the street and cutting through the small park to make up time when he heard his name.

Lena was walking at a clip to catch him. Junior resisted the strong desire to back away from her. Subconsciously he knew that if she caught him today that his life would never be the same. But instead of trusting his gut to remove him from this danger, he stayed put, unwilling to give into what he thought was fear. He had nothing to fear from her. She gave him a small, shy smile while pushing a paper bag out for him to take. He raised an eyebrow at her. She blushed.

"Peace offering." There were a lot of muffins in the bag. He gave her another raised brow. "Well I was hoping to catch you at home and made some for your family too."

"You didn't have to do this."

"Actually, I wanted to ask you something," she said blushing again.

"I'm on my way to get breakfast," Junior said lamely, unable to keep his feet from backing away this time. He turned deciding that he should cut through the park. He didn't pause to look back but he heard Lena following him. His chest started feeling tight. Not now. He didn't want to feel anything for her. His final destination in sight, Junior crossed the street and headed into the café but he knew he was already too late. A young college co-ed was already behind the counter and there were no recognizable cars in sight. Shit. He could try to walk to their house but he wouldn't make it in time to get breakfast before school. He trudged back out, crossing the street to brush past Lena and start making his way back across the park. She kept up with him this time.

"Junior, I want you to be my first," she blurted out.

He came to a screeching halt at the opposite end of the park, already orienting himself to make the fastest possible beeline to the stop where she got picked up for school. It was closer than walking home.

"You have got to be kidding me," he grumbled. His stomach seconded him.

"Uh, I was hoping you'd be less hungry when I started this conversation actually," she said dryly, motioning to the paper sack still in his hands. "People tend to be nicer when they're full."

He ripped open the sack, pulled a muffin out and gave it a hearty bite, "No." He started walking again but she followed. They stood at the stop, still too early for the bus. He continued to eat, pretending she wasn't there. The last thing he needed to do was get involved with her. He had a niggling feeling that she wouldn't be as easy as the others to get rid of.

"I'm not saying it has to be _today_," she continued while he fumbled with the bag for another muffin, "but my house is empty right now. And I…"

"Shut up."

"Junior yesterday I thought…"

"I thought you _liked_ being a virgin. You shouldn't let lust decide for you either," he spat. He wished she would leave him alone. He was feeling edgy and running out of muffin to occupy his mouth.

She came to her toes, her fingertips resting against his bicep as she leaned in to give him a peck near the corner of his mouth. '_Why was she always brushing herself against him?' _he thought as he gave a small groan of protest before turning to crush her against him. His kisses were brutal, taking out the anger and frustration he'd been feeling since she left the night before. She pulled away, her eyes hazy.

"Come home with me," she whispered. He shuddered. "Please."

He turned, taking her hand and pulling her down the street to her house. He wasn't pressuring her. She asked for it. And he was tired of refusing what she was offering. She led him upstairs to her room, her nerves starting to show. He gave her a quick peck on the lips, cupping her face in his hands.

"Hey, we don't have to do this," he told her gently. She blinked up at him, a smile curling her lips as she reached up to kiss him properly. Heat rushed over them, keeping them warm as the fumbled for each other's clothes. He was reminded of his first time, all sensation, no finesse. He wanted to pull back but he couldn't. He lost himself in touching her, in listening to her breathing increase, in watching her eyes go wide as he rubbed against her. She didn't know how to censor her mouth or her body, moaning and wriggling in ways that excited him.

"Are you sure?" he asked her desperately. He really hoped she was sure. He was ready. She kissed him.

"Yes." It took several tries for him to enter her. She kept tensing up and he would pause, starting to stroke her all over again, to get her to the place that he was. When he was finally completely inside he groaned, feeling himself pulse inside of her. He couldn't wait anymore. Closing his eyes, he started moving trying to keep himself from rushing to the end. She gave a small groan and he stilled, afraid he'd hurt her but she bent her leg to curl around his hip, pushing him deeper. He gave up trying to contain himself then. Her hands were on his chest, caressing him while her leg slid deliciously over his. He braced his hand against her bent leg, pushing it wider, grinding into her harder. She gasped and he plunged on oblivious to the fact that she wasn't enjoying it as much as he was. She felt him stiffen above her, watched his face change from pained to awed to relaxed in seconds. She leaned up to kiss him but he bent down to do it instead. Gingerly he pulled away from her, letting his arm cover his eyes. It had been really good for him. She rolled away, lying with her back towards him, clutching the sheets around her. _'What had she done?' _she asked herself before feeling the hot tears stinging her eyes.

His breathing starting to even out, Junior uncovered his eyes to look across the bed at Lena. "Lena?"

"I guess that's it then," she said sadly. He could hear the tears in her voice. "Thanks Junior." She was dismissing him! Confused Junior reached across the bed for her, stroking her back tenderly.

"Did I hurt you?" She shook her head in reply. Gah! She was so embarrassed. She'd thought yesterday, after the way he'd made her feel in his kitchen that he was the one. Instead she was on the opposite side feeling scared and confused. Sure, the initial entry had been a little painful but afterwards it had started to feel better. She had watched him close his eyes, giving her access to watch his expressions, listen to his deep breathing, watch the strength of his body as he moved above her. She'd become excited when he touched her leg. Until that point his hands had remained by her sides or in her hair when he was braced on his elbows. She was lying there wishing he would touch her more when he'd come. She'd been embarrassed to find that she hadn't. Wasn't she supposed to?

Junior moved over to wrap himself around her when she sat up abruptly. He reached for her again but she jumped from the bed, running down the hall to the bathroom. He heard the shower start up and for the first time since he'd started having sex he felt dirty. Cheap. Guess he should leave. He started stuffing himself into his clothes. He couldn't leave that room fast enough. He had gotten his shoes on when the guilt hit him. It had been her first time and she hadn't enjoyed it. Frowning he walked down the hall, knocking on the bathroom door. The water was cut, a curtain pulled back, and soft fall of feet to the ground alerted him that she was going to acknowledge his summons. She opened the door, wrapped in a towel, her hair dripping. She gave him an empty look.

"I'm gonna get going," he said quietly. She blinked at him. Feeling off kilter he cupped her face, pulling her lips up for a kiss. He groaned when she stuck her tongue in his mouth. He thought she was angry. Instead she was turning him on all over again. Lena took a step back, her mouth frowning. She was aroused and confused too. He dropped his hand from her face and backed away. His hand was on the banister when she called out to him.

"Did I do ok?"

"It wasn't a job interview," he said shaking his head.

She blushed and looked down at her toes, "Oh."

"It felt great for me," he admitted letting her off the hook.

"It still felt great even though I … even though I didn't …" she stammered. He gave her a critical look. Then understanding dawned on him. He chuckled darkly.

"Yeah." They stood in the hallway looking at one another for another long moment. She looked like she was contemplating her next move.

"Can we try again?"

"Excuse me?"

"Please?" she added walking towards him.

"No."

She stood in front of him, reaching out to run her hands under his shirt. He sucked in a breath.

"Please?" she repeated looking at him from under her lashes. He picked her up, taking her back to bed to try again. This time he felt less hurried, but not by much. He did take the time to touch her more, give her long sloppy kisses on her neck and breasts. He made her cry out a few times. But eventually he lost the battle, coming to the conclusion without her. He couldn't figure out why she made him so frantic, made his small measure of learned control desert him. He didn't let her pull away from him this time, holding her to his side, letting her even breathing regulate his. She fell asleep, her head in the crook of his shoulder but he stared at the ceiling trying to make sense of his feelings for her.

* * *

Three months later he was still with Lena exclusively. It turned out that having a full-time girlfriend wasn't as restrictive as he had expected. They didn't spend all of their time together. She often turned him down because she was studying or staying after school for some club. They'd tried to study together once with disastrous results. There had been a lot of swearing and book slamming that day. He missed her often, always looking forward to those days when they could spend time together. She made him feel special, listening to his day or hearing him make plans. He didn't share that stuff with just anyone and it made them closer. She didn't get jealous either like he had expected. She would see him in the halls talking to other girls and give him a smile with her eyes. But she wouldn't bring it up afterwards. She didn't need to. He didn't feel the need to stray.

After promising to work the whole summer in the garage for no pay, Junior had been gifted with a car for his seventeenth birthday. His birthday was a few months off and the supra hadn't been new, but it had been his. His family had turned it into an impromptu training session his uncles, dad, and mom taking turns helping him fix her up. His cousin Bria even broke out her art skills to design his paint job. He was proud of it as he and Lena rode in comfortable silence with the top down. Today they were going to chill at his Uncle Han's penthouse. He vaguely wondered if his uncle knew that Gigi was throwing a small party while he was out of town. The doorman tipped his hat at them, opening the door. The ride to the twentieth floor quick. He held her hand as the door was thrown open.

"Irasshai," _Come in _Gigi said opening the door. She paused to give Lena a long look, interest sparking in her eyes. Junior recognized that look though it was normally found on the faces of guys in his acquaintance. He gave his cousin a small shove and she grinned. Georgeanne, Gigi for short, was built like a supermodel. Today she had her long brown hair pulled back with clips, white stilettos, short white shirt and jeans that caressed her body. The bangles covering her wrist tinkled softly as she waved her hand to Lena.

"You're hot," Gigi told Lena appreciatively soliciting a blush.

"She's underage," he reminded her. Gigi was already eighteen, in college, and was a shameless flirt.

Gigi's mouth turned down in the corners playfully, "pity." Giving her another shove, Junior led Lena past his cousin and into the living room where lots of people were already milling around. He was related to several of the people in here. Junior made introductions and they sat around, talking and having fun. Gigi had music blasting from somewhere. Drinks were passed around and people started to dance. The beer he grabbed kept his hands looking busy on the bottle and not on Lena's legs exposed by shorts. He kept up a running commentary for Lena who was watching the crowd, trying to commit people to memory.

"That's my cousin Ryan," Junior said, pointing out one of the twins. He was dancing, one hand on a beer, the other around some girl's waist. "Don't get attached to the girl. His girlfriend will be back next week."

Lena placed a hand on his leg, moving to stand, "Where's the bathroom?"

"I'll show you. Come on," he said taking her hand and leading her downstairs to Gigi's room. There was a bathroom on the main floor but he wanted a chance to stretch his legs. Lena was awed by the size of this apartment. The one wall was floor to ceiling glass, the stairs curving down along the glass wall, the fading sun illuminating their path. The glass wall continued down here, where she could see two doors bracketing the hall. Junior didn't pause, walking purposefully towards the door furthest from them, pushing it open to reveal to her the largest bedroom she had ever seen. Everything in it was oversized: the Champagne colored bedspread covering the king sized bed, the gilt doors to the bathroom and walk in closet, the heavy blue and gold curtains currently pulled back to reveal the continued glass wall. Junior pointed her in the direction of the bathroom which impressed her.

"Must be nice to have a built in Jacuzzi in your bathroom," Lena commented when she returned to the room.

"You should see her closet. Bria almost passed out when she first saw it," he teased. Lena joined him, curious.

"Think she'll mind?"

"Nah, she'll never know," he said crossing the room to open the door. The space was just as oversized as the bedroom was. The closet was big enough for a chaise lounge to sit unobstructed in the middle. Everything was meticulously organized, a lot of the clothes looking very expensive.

"Wow! Is your cousin a supermodel or something?" Her voice carried in wonder. He shook his head.

"Or something."

"This place is unreal," she said, letting her hand caress the back of the chaise, "I don't think I could live like this."

"Anyone could stand to live like this," he tossed at her.

"How would you find anything?" Junior laughed and she returned to his side. He hugged her. She gave him a look through her lashes, sliding her hands to his chest, leaning in to kiss him. He obliged, keeping things playful and light. The sound of rapid French close by gave them pause.

"Oui mère."_ Yes mother. _Georgeanne waltzed into the closet, not startled to see them standing inside. She smiled, waving for them to sit on the chaise. That's when they noticed the red stain on her shirt. It smelled like grenadine.

"Je suis déjà engagé à venir." _I already committed to come._ She glanced down at her pants then tossed off her shoes. Junior leaned against the arm of the chaise. They were going to get a demonstration of how Gigi found clothes in her closet. She walked to a set of drawers, pulling from it a bright pink bra.

"Je ne peux pas se permettre de dépenser tout l'été avec vous." _I can't afford to spend the whole summer there with you. _Lena wasn't prepared for the girl to rip off her top in front of them letting it drop where she stood. Gigi started to put on her bra, approaching Junior so he could hook it for her. Then she moved behind them, shuffling hangers until she found a see through silk black top to throw on.

"Eh bien arrêter de me demander."_Well stop asking me. _She continued, this time picking up the soiled shirt and tossing into a basket in the corner where her discarded shoes lay. Picking them up, she placed them on a shelf with other white shoes then scanned a shelf of pink ones. A strappy pair of stilettos hit the floor and she stuffed her feet into them.

"Oui, l'amour aussi." _Yes, love you too._ Finally she reached a drawer in front of them, opening it to change her earrings, necklace, and bangles to reflect the black and pink. She'd pulled a brush through her hair, pausing to look at it in the floor length mirror near the door.

"Au revoir." _Bye. _She hung up, her fingers pressing the little button on her earpiece.

"Looks good Gigi," Junior said dryly. Georgeanne shrugged.

"You like my closet?" she asked Lena while retouching her makeup.

"It's big." Gigi laughed, throwing Lena a sultry glance over her shoulder. Lena blushed.

"How are things upstairs cuz?" Junior added politely, almost hiding his amusement.

"Just getting started," She turned to look at Lena again, "See anything you like?"

"Um…" Lena knew the question was laced with innuendo. She didn't know how to respond without seeming rude or green. She'd been embarrassed to see the girl's naked body. It was equally embarrassing to know that it hadn't fazed her boyfriend or his supermodel cousin either.

"You can borrow something if you like," Gigi offered, waving her hands. "In fact, I insist."

Gigi pulled Lena from the chaise to stand before her. Junior grinned then swung his legs up to get comfortable. This should be interesting. They held hands, as they paraded around the room, Gigi pulling outfits for Lena to look at. After the sixth one had been refused Gigi started to look entertained.

"Wait here," she said, leaving Lena by the shoes to climb onto a short stool. She reached for a clothing box, removing it with ease from its position on the shelf, before she returned to earth. The box was flung carelessly to the ground and she was left holding up a teal dress in triumph.

"It's too short," Lena balked.

"It's Dolce," Gigi countered.

"I don't like it," Lena said backing away.

"Bullshit. Everyone loves Dolce."

"It looks too expensive." The protests were becoming feebler.

"Yes. It's a sacrifice letting you borrow it. I haven't even worn it."

"Then I really can't," she said shaking her head.

"You will. I don't have enough ass to fill it out. You'll look perfect."

Junior laughed at the way the lie came off Gigi's tongue. Everything in this closet was tailor made for her. The two girls looked at him and he shrugged.

"Wear it, it will be fun," he told his girlfriend. Caving, Lena took the dress to the bathroom after refusing to change in front of them. Gigi came to sit on Junior's lap.

"This is nice," he told her, referring to her clothing outreach program. She shrugged. It wasn't often that she could play dress up with someone that she wasn't trying to seduce. Or that wasn't her family. It was relaxing. Lena returned a few minutes later, making Gigi clap in excitement. She tugged Lena over to her shoes, pulling out a pair of chocolate Manolo Blanc heels before helping her teeter over to the jewelry. The chandelier earrings tickled Lena's neck, the chunky chocolate bracelet foreign on her arm. She stood still while makeup was painted on her eyes, colorful lip gloss artfully applied to her lips. Finally she began to endure tugging adjustments to the way the dress was draped. Gigi sighed loudly.

"Junior, you need to go upstairs. We'll meet you in a second," she commanded. He gave his cousin a sharp glance. She rolled her eyes. She wasn't going to hit on his girlfriend. The girl clearly wasn't into Georgeanne that way.

He obliged, his trip to the closet disorienting him. It was completely dark now. The party was in full swing. More people had shown up, making it more difficult to maneuver through the crowd. Feeling he needed to do something with his hands, he went to grab a beer being careful to take sips. He had to be sober enough to drive Lena home later. He slipped into a conversation with a couple of guys about racing, jumping from NIRA to NASCAR to the underground scene fluidly. Ryan stumbled past him, a girl under each arm. He was such a playboy.

"Looks like G's bagged the cutest broad in the place again," Ryan slurred. One of the girls smacked him playfully in the stomach, "What? I have the cutest straight girls in the place." They giggled. Junior shook his head. Ryan was always keeping tabs on stuff like that, especially when he was drunk. Another one of Junior's cousins, Casche, found them. Casche was a dangerous dude and looked like he was ready to start a bar brawl at any time. Thankfully he had the attitude and muscles to match. His skin was naturally tanner than his fathers. They didn't know if that was a product of his mother. No one knew who Casche's mother was.

"Gigi win again?" Casche's question was more of a statement, blunt. No greeting. Junior shrugged. He hadn't see Gigi or her conquest of the night. He hadn't seen his girlfriend either since he left downstairs. Before he could come up with more commentary Tony, Ryan's twin, appeared. He had a very pretty girl with him too. He nodded to his cousins who returned the greeting.

"God, G's going to be so smug," he said shaking his head.

"Ok, who is this girl," Junior gave in. He wanted to know who the others were talking about.

"She's on her way over here now." Junior watched as the sea of people started to part a little, enough for Gigi to slowly stalk across the room, her hands holding two flutes of Champagne. Hand braced on her shoulder was his girlfriend. Lena's legs looked very long in those heels. The dress was clingy on her hips and legs, ending a quarter of the way down her thighs. The halter piece attached to cover her front draped loosely around her breasts, showing off her stomach. But the two of them had modified the dress, removing the sheath so she was baring her back completely. He felt like he hadn't gotten a really good look at her before. Her hair was swept up into clips to keep it off her face. Her lips looked really glossy under the low lighting and the moonlight streaming in through the windows. Junior watched his cousins gaze at his girlfriend appreciatively. Casche drained his beer, keeping his eyes fixed on the pair sauntering towards them. Junior felt the first stirrings of jealousy and gripped his bottle tighter.

"Well it looks like you won by proxy little cousin," Gigi said grinning when she finally reached them. She handed Lena a flute, then took her hand to guide the girl to Junior's side. Flashing her fingers playfully at the group assembled she melted back into the crowd. Standing next to her, Lena still wasn't as tall as him, but he barely had to tip his head to get his ear close enough to her mouth.

"Do you like it?" Did. He. Like. It. What a thoroughly messed up thing to ask him. He both loved the way she looked and hated the way other guys were undressing her. Didn't they realize she wasn't even eighteen yet? He nodded once, but didn't look at her preferring to take a sip from his beer. He felt her shift and could see her take a tentative sip of her drink. It tickled her nose. She giggled in wonder. Several guys looked at her then and Junior felt himself getting tense. She was turning him on again but he didn't want that. He wanted to let his jealousy course through him. He wanted to demand those other guys put their eyes back in their heads. He was preparing to help some of them do that physically.

Lena felt really beautiful. Kind of like Junior's supermodel or something cousin. She swallowed another sip of her drink, the bubbles expected this time but still tickling her nose and throat. She felt herself shiver against Junior. He looked down at her, the heels making his look closer than normal.

"Cold?" he whispered into her ear, leaning closer. She blinked.

"Not really." She wasn't really cold. There were too many bodies in here for the air conditioning to overly affect her. She was painfully aware of the stares. She wasn't used to guys looking at her that way. Like she was the shiniest toy in the place. It was heady and yet the one guy she wanted to look at her that way was looking anywhere but. He took another sip of his beer. She polished off her glass then started looking for a place to put it down. The coffee table was close, nearer to him than her, but she felt she could travel the two steps she'd need to make in the ridiculous heels strapped to her feet. She took one small step, grasping Junior's arm tightly when she bumped into him accidentally. Not feeling too sure on her feet, she slid her right leg up to bracket the back of his left, bending part way to place it on the table.

"Damn she's sexy," some random guy said loudly, his eyes fixated on her. She sucked in a stunned breath, her entire body flushing in blush. Some more onlookers laughed.

"Wonder if she blushes like that in bed," another called out to more laughter.

Junior drained his bottle slammed down next to her glass, grasping her hand to start dragging her towards the door. He could hear the sniggers around him. They thought he was getting ready to do all the things they had been thinking about doing with her. Instead he felt his hands itching to spank her. She'd practically put her whole body on display with that little maneuver. He paused briefly when they had to tackle the two stairs that would make them level with the front door. She fell against him and he hauled her up.

"Junior wait," she said quickly, confused by his desire to make a hasty retreat.

"I'm ready to go," he ground out.

"Ok," she placated, "but I can't go home in this. I need my clothes."

He looked like he was debating leaving without her clothes. He started tugging her towards the front door again, but halted at a closet off to one side. He riffled through it, his hands not finding a light jacket as he originally planned but a set of men's shirts wrapped in plastic. His Uncle's dry cleaning. Ripping the plastic off one of the button down shirts, he tossed it at her.

"Put that on," he growled. She looked at him wide eyed, stuffing her arms into the too large shirt. He grabbed her hand again and they shuffled out of the penthouse. The ride down the elevator was tense, the click of heels on the tiled floor of the lobby hurried. The night doorman tipped his hat, not concerned by the sight of the girl swimming in a man's shirt. It wasn't abnormal for some of the residents of this building. They made it to his car, and he sped off.

"Junior," she said quietly. He grunted testily. She tried calling his name again. He didn't respond. He stopped at a light, chest still heaving in anger. Looking over, he caught her holding herself, tears coursing down her face.

"Pull yourself together," he snarled. She turned to face away from him. She couldn't help it. She started crying harder. The sound was making him sick with guilt. He couldn't take her home like that, half dressed and crying her heart out. Mr. Morales would shoot him. He drove to DT Automotive on instinct. He pulled around the back to shield them from traffic in the front then cut the engine. It was his turn to call her name.

"Lena," he reached for her but she shied away from him. He reached again but she moaned sickly.

"Leave me alone. Take me home."

"I can't. Not looking like that." She started crying again. Not knowing what to do with her tears, he got out of the car and went to the passenger side. She glared at him when he opened the door and crouched to look into her eyes.

"Leave me alone."

"Lena," he started in a weary tone. They had never fought like this before. He was in uncharted territory. She ripped the seat belt off her, swinging her legs out to exit the car. The movements made him sit back, allowing him to get a glimpse under the dress. He felt his dick rise quickly and painfully. She didn't have any underwear on and he could see everything.

"Move," she said ready to walk home if she had too. She placed one heel against his chest and pushed. He felt her gearing up to push him again and he grabbed her ankle, moving her leg to rest on his shoulder. He got a less obstructed view of what had taken all of his attention seconds earlier.

"Lena." His voice was husky. He moved his hands to travel up her thighs. He felt her shift. To try to scoot closer to him, to move her leg from his shoulder. He held her in place and kissed the inside of her knee. She gave a small passion filled moan. Her hand caressed the back of his head. He kept kissing her, moving up her body. Her breath came faster, her leg starting to shake. She arched her hips when he finally got fully between her legs. He wanted her so bad. But not in the car. Not like this. He backed up, pulling her with him. She stood on her feet for a second before he gathered her up, carrying her to the picnic table wedged in the corner near the building under a tree. He sat her on the table top, kissing her roughly. She returned the favor nipping his lips, biting his shoulders and neck. He started to remove the dress, pulling the halter over her neck. He heard a ripping noise that reminded him of tape.

"Is that tape?" he asked incredulous. Lena laughed, nodding. It was double sided tape holding the dress to the outsides of her breasts to keep them covered. He didn't want to hurt her so he bent over to lick the skin around the tape, breathing on it so it would gently peel away. He was so close to where she wanted his mouth that it made her squirm with impatience. She used the time to start unbuckling his pants, pleased to find he was as turned on as she was. He groaned, nipping the side of her breast with his teeth when she wrapped her hand around him and started stroking.

"Stop babe. I'm not going to last long," he told her, grabbing her hand and removing it from his pants. She moved her hips to the edge of the table, the dress now completely bunched around her hips, the shirt open to expose everything to him. She grabbed his shirt, pulling him closer into a long, deep kiss. He grabbed her legs, pushing them open, not willing to wait any longer. He started moving inside of her, unable to go slow, passion amped by his earlier anger and jealously. She wrapped her legs around him groaning as she rocked against him.

"Touch me, please," she moaned. She didn't really talk during sex. The request made him want to rush. He used one hand to grab her breast as he pushed harder, nipping her neck over and over. She seemed to get hotter from his handling. Her cries started to come faster and louder and he felt himself give in to the need to push even deeper. He pushed her back onto the table, pulled her hips almost off the table and started to pound relentlessly. And then it happened. She started tossing her head, her moans getting louder and louder.

"Ah!" He pushed her. "Ah!" He drove into her again. God she was so close. "Ah!" And then she screamed. It was loud, uninhibited and followed by his triumphant groan. He felt himself pulsing involuntarily inside of her, over and over and over again, unable to do anything about the strength of his orgasm. It took him a minute to gather himself together to pull away and look at her. He shouldn't have. Her eyes were closed, her whole body heaving as she caught her breath. She was glistening with sweat and he could see the marks where he had bit her. His stomach clenched. He wanted her again but physically he knew he'd never be able to get it up again so soon.

He leaned over to kiss her and she made a mewling sound in her throat. She didn't open her eyes, the lids felt too heavy. He carefully sat her up, his attempt to right the dress feeble. Finally he buttoned the shirt, unable to make heads or tails of the teal fabric. Taking the dress off her he threw it haphazardly in the back of the car as he gently put her in the seat and buckled her up. She was still out when he rounded the corner to her house fifteen minutes later. He didn't want to wake her but she needed to go inside. He shook her gently and she stretched out, removing her seat belt.

"You have to go inside," he told her softly, moving the hair around her face. She leaned over to kiss him goodnight but his hands twisted in her hair. She moaned softly into his mouth and he started unbuttoning the shirt, his hand slipping in to cup her breast. She reached for him, beginning to bridge the space between them by slipping her hand between his legs to stroke.

"Lena," he warned feebly.

"Junior, I want you again." Her moaned words made his stomach clench, think of how she sounded earlier, his body already working to make him a liar. He was becoming very willing to make a second attempt. He moved his other hand to return the favor, stroking her naked thighs, slipping a finger inside of her. She was wet and ready again and he felt himself ready to slip up, to screw her brains out right in front of her house.

The beam of headlights flashing up behind them halted their progress. He removed his hands and popped out of the car to stop the man now approaching his car. Shit. His dad.

"Hey," he heaved trying to right his clothes, make them seem less wrinkled. It went against the grain for him to walk towards his dad when he wore his _'I'm going to beat your ass into next week'_ expression. But he wanted to give Lena time to fix herself. He got all the way to the nose of his father's car before he stopped. He wanted to be close but out of arms reach.

"Why am I out here Junior?" his dad said in a barely contained yell. The door to the Morales house opened up, Mr. Morales starting to make his way towards them, a baseball bat in his hands.

"Where's my daughter," Mr. Morales yelled advancing on the Toretto's with the bat. Lena scrambled out of the car, stumbling over the ridiculous stilettos. Dom gave his son a stunned look, catching Junior's sexually frustrated expression that was quickly buried for nonchalance. The girl had on a man's shirt, the hem swimming around her legs. Even buttoned up it hung on her. Her hair wasn't long enough to cover the blossoming hickies on her neck. Her lips were swollen and she was blushing profusely under their gazes. It was obvious what Junior and Lena had been doing till three in the morning. Judging from Junior's expression they may have continued if he hadn't pulled up.

Mr. Morales pointed the bat at her, "Get in the house."

Lena started towards the house stumbling again before pulling the shoes off her feet. For a moment she hesitated, looking like she'd rather run than go inside.

"NOW LENA!" he screamed. She moved forward, pausing to shove the shoes into Junior's waiting hands. She stared at her dad.

"You should run," she told Junior leadenly.

"I'm not runnin'," he told her softly. He gently shoved her towards the path. She gave him a doomed expression over her shoulder before she ran in the house. Junior looked at Mr. Morales.

"I'm sorry Mr. Morales. I don't know what I was thinking," he said evenly. He was scared of the man swinging his bat testily.

"You think a _'sorry'_ is going to erase my panic for the last few hours? You think a _'sorry'_ is going to protect Lena's reputation? You think a _'sorry'_ is going to make me trust you alone with my daughter again?" Mr. Morales called back angrily. "Well _sorry_ but I don't want you around my daughter anymore. We clear?" Junior opened his mouth to speak but Dom shook his head. He remained silent.

"Ignacio, let's talk about this in a few days when we've all calmed down," Dom said in his calm commanding voice.

"A girl's reputation is easy to damage Dom," Mr. Morales spat out.

"I know. I respect that. I have a daughter too," he said, keeping his cool. Ignacio and Dom locked eyes for a moment and then Ignacio turned, entering his house and slamming the door shut.

"I'm going to be right behind you," Dom said pointing his finger at his son. The ride to their house was short. They entered the house to find Letty sitting on the stairs waiting for them to return. She looked tired.

"Baby why don't you go upstairs," Dom told her, his hand moving to rub her back. She threw a dark look at her rumpled looking son.

"What were you thinkin' man?" Letty snapped. Junior ran his hand over the back of his head, letting it cup his neck.

"He wasn't," Dom answered for him, "Lemme guess, you _forgot_."

Junior felt ashamed but tried to cover it up, "Why is everyone flipping out? We just stayed longer than expected. It's not a big deal. I don't even know why he called you in the first place."

"He _called_ because he wanted to know if we'd heard anything about an accident, or if you had checked in. He _called_ because his kid was missing two hours after he extended her curfew. He wanted to know where she was, that she was safe," Letty answered icily. Junior felt horrible for making her parents worry, for knowing his parents had been worried too. "And when I called your cell and you didn't pick up _I_ asked your father to check and make sure 'Nacio Morales hadn't put a bullet in you."

"Still feel like it's not a big deal?" Dom asked looking into his son's dejected face. He hoped that the sex had been worth it for Junior. Judging by the hickie on the boy's neck, it might have been.

"I'm sorry Mom," Junior said quietly.

Letty huffed then added tiredly, "Go to bed. You smell like bitches and booze. I can't stomach that shit tonight."

Feeling that he was going to be hearing about this for a long time in the future, Junior trudged up to bed. He stripped to his boxers and thought about all the good things that had happened to him tonight. He'd need those memories to carry him though the next few weeks. His parents had made him forfeit the keys to the car for the rest of the summer. Lena had been grounded for just as long. So when he saw her sitting on the steps to his house when they returned from a long day at the garage, he felt uneasy.

"You shouldn't be here Lena," he started off. He wanted her here. He'd missed her. But summer was almost over and so was their punishment. He didn't want her to screw up her chance for release from home confinement.

"It doesn't matter," Lena said her eyes downcast.

"Why not?" Dom asked the girl. He knew she shouldn't be here. Letty came up beside him to give Lena an once-over.

"I really need to talk to you," Lena said dejectedly.

"You look pregnant," Letty stated making all heads turn to hers. Dom felt a prickle of unease. _'How had she known that?' _Lena blushed wildly. Nikki and Bria came bounding out of the house.

"Mom, we have to hurry or we'll be late for the movie," Nikki called out as she and her cousin rushed to the car. Letty rolled her eyes and got into the car. Stupid boy. She was too young to be a grandmother. Dom stomped past them into the house, unable to speak around the knot of anger in his throat. Junior sat on the front steps, shoulders slumped, his head in his hands. Pregnant. Jeez. Lena moved to stand in front of him. She figured he would react like this.

"How long?" He asked after a few minutes in a dead voice. His mind had started to race, recalling all the times he'd forgotten to use protection. He was feeling cold on the inside when he realized that it was easier to remember that he'd used condoms twice in all the times they'd been together. He shook his head in disgust.

"Four months." That made his head shoot up. He gave Lena a look of disbelief.

"Four months! You've kept this from me for four months!" he exclaimed, not loudly but not exactly whispering either. Lena began to twist her fingers together.

"I just realized a week ago."

"How could you not know Lena?" He sounded angry but he wasn't. He was numb. Scared.

"I … I," she stammered.

"Didn't you realize you hadn't had a period in four months? Weren't you getting sick?" Lena shook her head.

"I've never been regular so I didn't miss it. And I haven't been sick. You've seen me Junior. I haven't been sick," she rushed to say. She didn't want him to think that she'd tricked him. She truly hadn't known. Not until her pants had gotten too tight to wear. She would have attributed it to the extra eating she'd been doing. But the twinge in her abdomen had prompted her to go to see her doctor. How embarrassing to be told you were four months pregnant by your boyfriend's aunt.

Junior scanned his mind to four months ago, recalling the stupid fight they'd had over studying. They hadn't spoken for two days. But when he finally caught up with her, they had done a lot more than talk. That had not been one of the two times. He shook his head again.

"I don't believe it," he mumbled in confusion, trying to work things out in his head. She claimed she hadn't noticed. But to be fair, he hadn't noticed either. He tried to catalog a time when she's shown signs through her clothes. He thought of Gigi's party. She'd worn that sexy little dress. Tons of people had looked at her and not suspected anything. There had been ample time for him to notice what others may not have. They'd had sex several times in that four month period. The last time almost two months ago really stood out fresh in his mind. It had been rough, wild. He'd finally gotten an orgasm out of her. He'd touched her body often that night, ran his hand over her stomach, caressed her breasts. She hadn't felt too different. He ran his hands over his face.

Lena didn't know what was racing through his mind. She bent to take his face in her hands. He let her, looking into her eyes with a desperate expression. She didn't know what else to do to make him feel better so she kissed him lightly on the lips. He didn't respond. She kissed him again with the same results. Tears sprang to her eyes. Junior used his thumb to wipe them away.

"Pull yourself together," he said softly, pulling her onto his lap and gathering her in a hug. And they did. Mr. Morales didn't take the news too well at first but he eventually warmed to the idea of being a grandparent. Junior started working every spare moment he wasn't at school to save up for their baby. And at seventeen, Junior became a father to a boy they named Dominic Toretto the Third. Nic for short.

* * *

"Kinda wriggly isn't he," Casche observed as Nic cooed, dribbled, and grasped his toes. Nic was four months old. That was about the extent of his fun. Casche tickled the baby's belly.

"Gah!" Nic exclaimed. Tony, Ryan, and Casche laughed from their positions on the floor around him. Junior sitting on the couch didn't bother opening his eyes. That shit was cute now but they didn't have to deal with him overnight. Thankfully Nic spent half his time at the Toretto house and half at the Morales'. Junior and Lena were still together but she still lived at home. Junior missed them when they weren't around but after last night he was selfishly happy that she was taking him for the next two days. The doorbell rang but he was too tired to even get the door. Fortunately his little cousin Jessie was hanging with them today. The nine year old paused his videogame, crossing to open the door.

"Hey Lena," he said quickly, running back to his game. Lena stormed into the house, her temper boiling over seeing Junior resting on the couch.

"You stupid," she hit him with the paper she clutched in her hand, "selfish," she struck him again, "son of a bitch," whack, "Where is it! Where's the check!" She stopped hitting him, shuffling around the room in search of the baby's bag.

"What is wrong with you?" She never acted like that. Not ever. He got up and approached her cautiously. The guys watched her tip the bag over and out flew a crumpled letter, postage attached. She grabbed it then stood in his face, slapping the letter into his chest.

"I asked you to send this. All you had to do was put it in the mail. But could you do that," she accused hostilely. He vaguely remembered her handing the letter to him a few weeks ago. He's stuffed in into the bag so he could carry Nic and the rest of his crap to the car.

"I…"

"Let me guess," she said in a mocking tone, "you forgot."

"Lena I didn't do it on purpose," he started trying to keep calm. He wasn't feeling up to an argument today. Nic had been fussy all night. Lena started stuffing the baby's things back into the bag and gathering up the rest of Nic's things that had been strewn across the floor. Her movements were jerky, stiff.

"It was my early confirmation check for college Junior. And now it's late," she shook her head in frustration, "Sometimes you are so irresponsible."

His temper flared, "I'm irresponsible," he poked himself hard in the chest, "now I have to take the blame for you not doing your own shit?"

"You just don't get it!" she yelled. She turned to head for the stairs but he caught her arm, swinging her around.

"Where are you going?" he growled. If she thought she was just going to walk away from their fight, she was wrong.

"To grab Nic's stuff. I can't trust you with a letter. I sure as hell ain't trusting you with my baby," she threw at him in anger. She jerked her arm out of his grasp and started bounding up the stairs to his room. He followed to find her trying to stuff the baby's clothes in a bag.

"Stop it Lena," he commanded slamming the door.

"I don't have to listen to you. I am taking care of my own shit right?"

"You're being childish." She paused to give him a scathing look.

"I was waitlisted Junior. Waitlisted! And they gave my scholarship away. My Dad is going to kill me! And I just know Nic is not going to sleep because you always let him nap too long in the middle of the day. We never spend time alone together. And you're going out with your friends. And I'm fed up," she told him before bursting into tears. Junior felt like an ass. He crossed the room to hug her but she pushed him away. He sat on the bed to watch her tears drop. It didn't last long. She wiped her face with her fingers then turned to give him a remorse filled look.

"You have to know I didn't do that on purpose babe," he told her quietly. She crossed to him, choosing to sit on his lap. She faced him, her legs bent to bracket his hips. He wrapped his arms around her and she burrowed her face in his chest. He felt her sigh.

"I'm just overwhelmed. I didn't mean to imply that you can't handle Nic." Junior gave a self depreciating chuckle.

"You might be right." She moved to look at him in the eyes, taking his face in her hands. She gave him a peck on the lips.

"You're such a good dad," she said huskily giving him a longer and deeper kiss. He felt the stirrings of arousal. That had been a quick change. She shifted to move closer to him and his hands slid down her hips to help her. She groaned then started kissing his neck. He gripped her legs, pushing the dress up to expose her panties to his gaze. She nipped his ear.

"Babe," he groaned. She pushed her breasts closer to his chest. He loved it when she did that.

"Mmm, touch me," she whispered frantically in his ear. He gripped the back of her head to give her another kiss, this one sloppier than the first. This was quickly leading down a familiar path. He unbuckled the belt around her waist, the dress zipper coming undone quicker. She helped him lift the dress off her, the fabric falling to the floor in a heap. He caressed her, undoing her bra, slipping his fingers around the elastic of her panties. She moaned again and he lay back to watch her writhe over him. She started to move her hips against his and he felt the familiar pressure starting to build.

"Babe, we should stop," he said idly. He didn't want to. He really didn't want to. It had been so long…

Not heeding his words, Lena bent over to kiss him, her hands sliding under his shirt till she had it bunched in her hands. He lifted enough for her to pull it off him then she worked on his pants. She wanted this. She wanted him. She lifted long enough to pull off the last of her clothes then sat on him naked. His hand came to cup her head again, bringing her close for a kiss. She obliged and his hands started rubbing over her again. She let her kisses trail his chest this time, stopping to tease his nipples. He sucked in an appreciative breath. He started to pull her closer so he could roll on top but she pushed back a little to shake her head. He grinned and then groaned as she started kissing lower. Her hands were already on his thighs when her breasts grazed his dick. He grasped her breasts in his hands, squeezing them together to add pressure. She gasped then pushed his hands away before replacing them with her own. He watched her as she looked down fascinated at the sight. She slid herself up and down a few times gaining another appreciative grunt. She giggled then ran her tongue over the tip. He gripped her, pulling her up to meet his mouth again. He felt the smile curving her lips at his impatience. He'd show her impatient. Gripping her hips he slipped inside of her. The change was instantaneous. There was no more playing. She groaned, sitting up to grip his chest. She'd never been on top before. It took a few tries before she figured out how to move against him but she got it right in the end with his help.

He kept his eyes open to look at body bouncing over him. He alternately slid his hands up to cup her bouncing breasts and to hold onto her hips when he ground into her. He was reveling in how good she felt to him when she started to moving faster, grinding harder. He grit his teeth. Her eyes were closed, her head thrown back. Her cries started to crescendo and then she crested. He watched a grin light her face and then she gently fell against him, her chest heaving. Kissing her, he gently rolled her over. He wasn't done yet. She hummed when he kissed her lips again. He started to move within her. She moaned. He felt her arms move to his chest and her hips rise to meet him. He felt himself getting closer. But he felt her starting to get excited again, her breath beginning to heave. It was driving him crazy. He pushed her harder and her cries started again. She came again, this time he followed.

Half an hour later, Junior was giving Lena a long kiss goodnight. They stood in the hallway making out until a gruff male cough interrupted them. Casche threw Junior a dry look and he pulled away, shoving her gently out the door. He could hear her chuckles as she skipped down the stairs to her father's car. Feeling lethargic, Junior reclaimed his place on the couch, Ryan in residence on the opposite end. Junior let his eyes close again. Tony was still on the floor but he was now playing a different game with Jessie. Casche spoke from his position on the floor where he was rocking the baby in one of his various chairs. Nic was napping peacefully.

"Guess this means you're not coming out with us tonight," Ryan ribbed. Junior shook his head.

"Can't. Baby duty."

"Wonder how she got you to volunteer," Tony added slyly.

* * *

Junior and his entire family were gathered at Uncle Han's penthouse. It seemed like it was one of the few places that could hold them all comfortably anymore. Junior was twenty and now the father of two. Giovanni Toretto had been born thirteen months after his brother. Tony had found humor in the irony that Junior had volunteered to keep one baby while the other walked out the door with Lena anyway. Junior smiled. Tony had come off worse in that fight with a black eye and a split lip. Junior's jaw had been bruised. They'd made up when their wounds had healed.

Casche was on the floor rolling around with the two toddlers. Sometimes it was disturbing to see the obviously tough guy relax enough to keep the kids busy. They were all pretending to wrestle right now, which basically meant the boys were squealing and falling onto Casche's body. Junior grinned. At least it wasn't him. He took a look around. The twins were older than him by a year but his parents were still the only grandparents in the bunch. He kept scanning the room. It was times like this that he missed Lena. She'd gone to the bathroom twenty minutes ago. Until then he'd been watching her lying in another corner of the room discussing fashion with Nikki, Bria, and Gigi. He'd wondered how long it was going to take her to realize that he'd been staring at her ass. He couldn't wait till they got home. Home. He, Lena, and the boys had moved into a small apartment a few blocks away from DT Automotive. They worked hard to make it but the privacy was well worth it.

After waiting ten more minutes he decided to go check on her. He made it part of the way down the stairs, the sun glare hitting the window in a valiant attempt to blind him before it set. He shielded his eyes so he could make it to the bottom. The sight greeting him in Gigi's room made his heart drop into his stomach. Lena was laying face down on the carpet, her arms sprawled like she hadn't even tried to prevent her fall. He didn't hear himself yell her name out in fright. He fell to his knees near her, his hands moving to cup her face. He wanted to grab her close but he didn't know if she'd hurt her neck. He felt her strained breath against the palm of his hand and his heart started to pump again. He didn't think anyone had heard him but his Aunt Mia was by his side in moments.

Mia had run downstairs, her medical training making the response automatic. That yell had been filled with anguish. She'd heard another person in this penthouse yell like that almost thirty years ago. That day would forever be ingrained in her mind. Dom's scream as their father had burned at the tracks had always haunted her. She was vaguely aware of others following, her mind already ready to block out anything gruesome, to bury it under cool professionalism. Junior was huddled over Lena, his hand near her face. He moved back when she moved in his space, understanding that she would need room to work. The girl was breathing. Sighing in relief she began to tentatively feel around Lena's neck to make sure nothing seemed broken. Satisfied she looked at Junior.

"Help me roll her over," she told him crisply before ordering, "someone give me a pillow."

They rolled the girl on her back and a pillow was slapped into Mia's waiting hand. She propped Lena's head up gently.

"I need a towel with ice for her face and a warm wet rag," she ordered. Gigi crossed into the bathroom to get the requested cloth. Mia wiped the girl's face gently. She'd been bleeding from her nose. Less than two minutes later the ice arrived. She applied it to the right side of the girl's face which was going to be bruised. A light blanket was offered up without question. Mia looked back to find Brian standing there. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"What's wrong with her?" Junior asked in a brittle voice.

"We're about to find out," Mia said keeping her voice low and calm. "Lena?"

"Oooh," Lena moaned out. Damn her face hurt. She blinked a few times to clear her focus and recall where she was. She saw Junior's concerned face near hers along with his Aunt Mia and half his family. "Oh no." She tried to sit up but a competent hand held applied slight pressure to her shoulder.

"Don't get up yet," Mia told her, grabbing her wrist to check her pulse. She nodded. Guess it was ok.

"My head really hurts," Lena said lamely. It didn't hurt nearly as much as it had before she'd passed out. She assumed that she must have dropped as she stood this time. Last time she'd been able to stay conscious long enough to twist her body and brace herself for the fall. That time, she'd been out for several minutes, waking to hear the boys screaming their heads off in their playpen.

And the moments leading up to her most recent episode flooded her. She'd been talking to Junior's sister and cousins upstairs. She'd felt the headache coming on and didn't want to call attention to herself. She made it to the bathroom to take an aspirin and sit in the dark for a few minutes. Maybe it would go away this time. But she'd heard the ringing getting louder in her ears and was desperate to make it to the stairs to call for help. She was tired of passing out. She'd taken a few steps out of the bathroom. The sun was setting, the light too bright. She'd felt the world start to spin but couldn't do anything before the blackness claimed her. And now she was on her back with their stricken faces staring.

"When's the last time you've eaten?" Mia asked her. They were going to eat soon but it may not be a factor for this spell. Lena wrinkled her nose. She must have understood the line of questioning.

"Lunch with the boys. And I'm not pregnant either," she added with a hint of impatience, "Can I get up now?" Tony sniggered in the background. Mia nodded, helping her slowly sit up.

"Has this happened before?" Mia continued, looking into the girl's eyes to see if they were clear and coherent. Lena stiffened.

"No."

"You're lying," Junior said hotly, the adrenaline still coursing through his veins.

She gave him a scathing look, her color returning, voice dripping sarcasm. "Yes Junior. I routinely fall down and fuck up my face." Letty gave an involuntary laugh. The others joined in. Lena resisted the urge to grip her head in pain.

"You'll live for now," Mia said with a worried grin on her face. "But promise you'll stop in on Monday. You should really have an x-ray."

Lena made a face the grudgingly agreed. The room cleared out. Junior helped her stand then helped her up the stairs. He wanted to take her home so she could rest but she refused. She made it though dinner, dessert and even settled in to watch a movie. She was leaning against him, her good side against his body. He kept stroking her hair. Gio came to crawl in his mom's lap. She stiffened when Gio's hands found the large bruise on her cheek. He looked ready to cry.

"Mama got's a boo-boo?" Gio asked childishly. She kissed his forehead then helped him settle down, stroking his hair. Nic contemplated going to be with his mom. She looked bad.

"No wrestling for mama," Nic told her sternly. She grinned and he crawled behind her, laying his head on her side. She kissed his hair too. The boys fell asleep minutes into the movie. Junior felt Lena's breathing slowing into the pattern of sleep. He looked down at his little family, giving Lena another kiss in her hair. She barely stirred.

"I love you," he whispered to her. He saw a smile light tease her lips before her she went completely to sleep. And he let himself enjoy this moment with his whole family scattered around him.

Junior felt like his skin was going to crawl completely off his body. He hadn't stopped feeling on edge since Leon had pulled him from under a car to tell him that Lena was in the hospital. She'd reassured him that she was feeling better. He'd been keeping so close to make sure it was true. But they weren't together all the time. And he'd missed this. He rounded the corner to see Nic and Gio each sitting on Casche's lap. An officer was standing close by to them and looked like he wanted to bolt after the boys when they jumped up to hug him.

"You the father of these boys?" the officer asked professionally. He asked for Junior's ID, took down some information nodding. "Sorry. This is procedure. Only allowed to release them to their parent or guardian."

Junior nodded numbly. Someone else asked the officer to explain what happened.

"Uh," the officer hedged. He looked like he didn't want to divulge the facts aloud to so many people but Junior looked at him.

"It's alright. They're all family."

The officer coughed to clear his throat, "According to witnesses the young lady was shopping in the grocery store. About halfway through the store she started exhibiting signs of disorientation. She bumped into a few shelves with the cart. One of the employees called for help when he saw her trying to push the cart to the front of the store with her head lying on the arm. By the time someone reached her side she'd fallen completely to the ground unconscious."

Junior felt himself slumping down to the ground. He sat on the floor unable to say anything, just gather his sons close. Gio started crying. Someone made the officer go. Slowly the waiting room filled, his family coming to be with him. Eventually Mia was able to get one of her colleagues to get her some information. It wasn't good. Hours later, Junior thawed out enough to tell people to go home. His parents offered to take the boys. The Morales offered to take them too. But he selfishly wanted them here. Casche was the only one he let stay. He couldn't muster up the energy to make him leave. They stayed for hours, not talking, letting the boys finally fall asleep. Around two in the morning the attending physician came to get them. Lena had woken but it didn't look good. She was asking for him, for her boys. The doctor let them all go in the room together even though it was against hospital policy, especially so late. He wasn't sure the woman would last till morning.

Gio looked at his mom. She didn't look happy with all those tubes and things sticking out of her. Nic was feeling the same way. Uncle Casche held their hands while their dad walked up and kissed her lips. Nic didn't want to cry. His dad didn't cry and his grandpa didn't either. But his mom had tears spilling out of her eyes. They reached the side of the bed and the boys were lifted one at a time to get kisses from their mom.

"Big boo-boo mama?" Gio asked sadly. She nodded.

"I wanna go home," Nic pouted, "Let's go home mama. Please."

"I can't," she said slowly.

"But I want you too. I want you with me," Nic said desperately.

"Please mama, please," Gio begged. She looked really tired.

"I love you," she said reaching for them but her hand felt so heavy. Her head really hurt today.

Casche took each boy's hand, "I'm going to miss you Lena." He helped the boys out of the room before they got unmanageable. And then it was only Junior and Lena. He finally let his tears fall.

"I hate you," he told her sadly, burying his face in her hair.

"I know. Pull yourself together," she said very slowly. He started whispering her name over and over but she didn't say anymore. She just went right back to sleep. And before the sun rose, she stopped sleeping altogether.

The weeks following Lena's death were awful. Junior fell apart. He barely slept. He rarely spoke. He only went to work and then came home to be alone. He was overly productive at work, working alone, keeping to himself. His sons started to withdraw from him. They didn't understand why their dad didn't want to play or look at them anymore. They couldn't process his grief. Nikki had her driving permit and often bent the rules to come pick up her nephews so they could be around people who were continuing to live. Because Junior wasn't. He didn't feel like he could.

It was a sunny Sunday. Nikki had already come to the house to pick up the boys for a family barbeque. She'd extended the invite to her brother but he shook his head no, not even looking up from the TV when they left. He didn't even get up to lock the door. That's how Gigi was able to waltz in an hour later. She sat beside her cousin but didn't speak. They watched TV listlessly. During a commercial break forty-five minutes later Gigi got up and went into his bedroom. He could hear her fumbling around in there and then the closet door squeaked open. Gigi started pushing hangers around and he heard things softly hitting the ground. She finished in there and moved to the drawers by the time Junior came to investigate. He lost it.

"What the fuck are you doing!" he yelled. He knew what she was doing. A pile of Lena's clothes from the closet lay on the floor and Gigi was in the process of going through the drawers too. She had jumped a foot in the air when he yelled but went calmly back to her task.

"Cleaning."

"Get out!" He came over to rip a shirt out of her hands, tossing it back into the drawer. He almost shut her hand in the drawer slamming it closed.

"No."

He picked her up by her arms, stalking to the front door and set her by it. He turned away to go put Lena's things away. It hurt him to see her clothes strewn about carelessly. Gigi walked in the room behind him but stayed at the door this time.

"You owe me a Dolce dress," she said calmly.

He started flinging the drawers open again, this time removing all of Lena's clothes. He just started throwing things around, not caring where it landed.

"Here," he threw a perfume bottle at Gigi who ducked as it smashed against the wall. The smell of the perfume overwhelmed him. The whole place was going to reek of Lena. And he hated her! He hated her for leaving him. The rage left him and he slid down the wall to look at the wrecked room. He started crying uncontrollably. Gigi didn't coddle. Instead she went to the kitchen and returned with the box of trash bags. He didn't pay attention to her as she bagged the things strewn all over the room. She cleaned up the perfume as best she could, using the trips to the bathroom as a way to sweep the woman out of there too.

Finally Gigi made the several trips down to the dumpster to empty the house of Lena. She came back in, not bothering to lock the door either. No one would be bothering them in here after the shouting he'd done. She held out her hand for Junior and he took it, letting her tug till he got to his feet. She pushed him on the bed then removed his shoes. He lay on his stomach and she lay beside him, covering his back, rubbing his arm. They lay there silently, the TV still playing in the other room, lulling them into sleep.

It was four in the afternoon when the pair pulled to a stop in front of one of the neighbor's houses. There were a lot of cars here but the neighbors had gotten used to it. It was a hazard of living near the Toretto's. Gigi held his hand on the walk up the drive. He heard people having fun, laughing back there. He could hear the boys' high pitched yells of delight. He felt guilt wash through him. He hadn't been very good to them lately. He'd make up for that.

There really wasn't much change to the atmosphere when people realized he was there. Mostly they greeted Gigi and didn't say anything to him. She deposited him in a chair at the picnic table then sauntered off to grab him drink. Leon was sitting at the table sipping a beer.

"It sucks but you'll live," His Uncle Leon told him matter-of-factly. Yep, he'd live. And at twenty and some change he was back at home, living with his sons, his parents, and his little sister.

And at twenty-two he was watching his mom kiss his sons before he shuffled them off to school. He was done reminiscing on what he missed.


	8. Epic Struggle pt 1

**Disclaimer: **Don't own. Don't sue. Thanks!

**Epic Struggle of Man Versus Woman (pt 1)**

"Auntie Nikki," the toddler standing next to her was rubbing his eyes. It was way past his bed time. She held out her hand and the boy took it, the familiarity of the gesture giving him comfort.

"Sleepy Gio?" The two year old nodded. He'd had a lot of fun playing with his big brother and his Uncle Casche. He really wished that he could have played with his dad. Sushi Gigi brought him to grandpa's barbeque but he still looked really sad, like he wasn't ready to play. His dad never wanted to play anymore. Not since mom had gone to the doctor and hadn't come home. But now it was late and he just wanted a bedtime story.

Nikki looked down the table at her brother. Things had started to settle down now that the group was fed. There was talk swirling around her: her cousins making plans to see a movie, the older folks deciding to watch a DVD. Little antidotes about what people were getting themselves into or out of lately. Junior was sitting in the thick of things, slowly taking pulls from his beer, not joining in. This wasn't abnormal behavior for him, at least not lately. It had been weeks since he'd really talked to any of them or been social for that matter. His will to live seemed to have died along with his girlfriend Lena almost six weeks ago.

Everyone here could appreciate the devastation Lena's death had caused. They left him alone as he pushed them all away, retreating into himself. But Nikki whished he hadn't pushed his children away. Her nephews, three year old Nic and two year old Gio, needed him now more than ever. They hadn't been able to understand why their dad never wanted to do anything anymore, barely spoke, never laughed, never tried to do more than exist. At sixteen, Nikki was a young aunt. She loved the boys fiercely and hated that they were suffering so she had spent the last few weeks making sure they had plenty of interaction from folks still in the land of the living. She'd picked them up for this barbeque on her own, knowing that her parents were trying to give Junior space and not press the issue. But she'd pressed, inviting him again, feeling deep down that he wouldn't show. And she'd taken the boys as she had been doing often to make sure they didn't feel they had to die like their father was.

Now she looked at him and wondered if she should bother taking the boys back home, tucking them in their own beds at Junior's apartment. It might be better for everyone if she just tucked them in upstairs, in Junior's old room for the night. They could wake up in the morning and she'd make pancakes. The boys could finish out their weekend here. She would take them to daycare. She'd done it before. Just because he'd let Gigi drag him down here today didn't mean that anything had changed. She knew he wouldn't tuck them in and kiss them goodnight or read them a story like their mom used to. Or like he used to before their lives had changed. Giving her nephew another look, he was rubbing his eyes more vigorously, she sighed standing.

"Nic," she called out. Her older nephew paused in his investigation of something on the ground. Probably some poor bug. He gave her a look like he was caught. "Time for bed." Nic's face fell but Nikki didn't give in, holding out her hand.

"But Aunt Nikki," he said in exasperation, "I don't wanna."

"No. Sonno." _Sleep._ She told him firmly, the Italian word falling from her lips. It's what her father had used on her and Junior when they were younger. He looked at her indecisively like he didn't want to listen. Gio walking dutifully beside her, she approached the boy, stopping to stand very close to him.

"But I don't wanna go to bed," he pouted. She snapped her fingers at him, still holding out her hand. Knowing that the next time he wouldn't like the way she asked. Sighing he let the cricket he'd caught hop out from the cup he'd put over it. Nikki took his hand and led them upstairs for quick baths before bed. Her brother hadn't moved during that whole exchange. She knew he wouldn't care. She had the boys tucked in Junior's old bed together, story read, and lights out in under an hour.

"It's still early Nikki," her cousin Bria called out from her seat on the floor in the family room. The house was extremely quiet.

"Where is everybody?"

"The younger set went bar hopping and the 'rents went to shoot pool."

Nikki nodded, flopping onto the couch. That would account for mostly everyone. She knew that some exceptions to those destinations would be made. Jessie, her younger cousin was probably on his way home with his mom Jenna. And Junior was probably hiding back in his apartment.

"And you stayed behind?" Nikki grinned. Her cousin shrugged.

"I prefer the company," Bria told her. Tony and Ryan, her twin older brothers could be a right pain in the ass, particularly when it came to parties or boys. Plus they, Casche, and Gigi were old enough to get into the bars but Bria at eighteen had three more years to go.

"School is going to suck in the fall," Nikki lamented. Bria was graduating from high school in a week and going to Stanford in the fall. The six hour commute would definitely cut down on their hanging out.

"We have the whole summer and you're whining already about me leaving?" the blonde teased.

"Yeah I need the practice so it will be really convincing by then," Nikki shot back, their banter coming easy. Bria was more than her cousin. She was her best friend.

"And since we're on the subject, we need to hit the mall to find the perfect outfits for my party," Bria sang. Nikki bit back a groan. It's not that she didn't like shopping; she just preferred to do it with a less zealous person. Bria could shop for hours without a break.

"You haven't asked Gigi to raid her closet?" Gigi's enormous closet at the penthouse was the stuff of legends. It was bigger than Nikki's whole bedroom and filled with nothing but designer duds courtesy of her fashion connected mother.

Bria laughed, "You know Tony and Ryan will veto anything I get out of there."

"They won't be that bad."

"Ha. They'll be on home turf so they'll be even worse. I'm looking for something sexy yet understated if you catch my drift."

Nikki thought for a moment about the last few times she'd visited Gigi's closet and shook her head. Nothing like that in there would be suitable for a party. Sexy supermodel office party maybe, graduation party no.

"When do you want to go?" She caved.

"What time you leaving the garage tomorrow?"

"Swing round bout five. You can convince my parents to let me skive off for the last half hour." Nikki felt that if they were going to get this done, she'd rather it happen in one shot. Four hours would be enough time to find something suitable. She'd make sure of it.

Bria only worked till four at the cafe everyday so she was deep in the throes of begging Nikki's mother to let her leave early by four fifteen.

"Aunt Letty, you know my mom. Today may be our only opportunity to go. She'll probably have a laundry list of errands for me to run between now and graduation on Saturday." Letty continued to check the fluid levels for the Mustang currently in for a tune up. She heard a pause in the clink of tools returning to their proper place. Letty knew Nikki was listening for her reply.

"Nikki's not supposed to leave till five thirty," she said slowly.

"But she's practically done for the day," Bria added. The clink of tools picked up immediately. Nikki was so predictable. Sure enough there was a final clank as the tool chest was closed and Nikki bounded up to them eagerly.

"I'm done," Nikki said quickly.

"No kiddin'," Letty muttered under her breath. The girls grinned. Checking to see that Dominic was occupied Letty waved the girls off. They left quickly before she could change her mind. Nikki looked at the time as they sped towards the mall. Four thirty-five.

"That's a personal best," she commented dryly. Bria brushed imaginary dirt off her shoulder causing them to fall into a fit of laughter.

The two girls began their search, stopping to try on outfits at multiple stores without luck. The lack of success did not bother Bria as much as it did Nikki. It may have had something to do with the group of three guys following them. Nikki noticed them pretending to check out jewelry in the last store they were in. She said pretend because every time she caught the eye of one of the guys he would immediately look away. Their presence wasn't scary to her, more so annoying. And she'd been prepared to write it off as coincidence except they were now trailing them into another store.

"Eeep! Yes, yes ,yes," Bria said sharply startling Nikki who was looking at the boy again. The stocky idiot smiled. She turned away.

"Have you lost your mind?" she said sourly. Bria didn't seem fazed.

"Nikki, go try this on," Bria told her thrusting dress at her. The top was made out a shiny material that curved close to the chest, the jean skirt starting immediately below the breast line. The part of the skirt that started continued below her hips thankfully had the decency to flare out. But it looked short.

"Can't I just wear jeans?" It wasn't that she didn't like skirts. She just really preferred jeans. Bria gave her a piercing look. "Ok. Can we pick a more forgiving fabric?"

"Your body is perfect. You have enough curves to pull it off." Nikki began to open her mouth but Bria was quicker. "I won't let you rest until you do."

Feeling it wasn't worth the hassle Nikki went into the dressing room. She started trying to stuff herself in the dress but she had been right. It was just too tight and unyielding to fit around her hips. Biting back a curse she took off the offensive garment, preparing to put her clothes back on but a knock sounded on the door.

"Nikki?" Bria asked cautiously.

"Yeah."

"Oh good. Open up." Nikki opened the door a crack to see her cousin holding up another dress, this one in a much more forgiving fabric. Cotton made up the spaghetti strapped top piece, cut into triangles that covered her chest. This dress also made its transition right below her breast line but it reminded her of silky scarves. "Better?" Nikki nodded and Bria grinned. "Great. Cause I want the other one for myself."

"Here," Nikki said thrusting the first dress at her less curvy cousin, "more power to you." Both girls emerged from the dressing room in much better spirits, their choices made. They paid for their dresses then started to walk back towards the exit.

"You know, we really should get accessories for these," Bria told her absently. Normally Nikki would have agreed. She actually had a thing for jewelry even though she couldn't wear it in the garage. But she had just noticed the boys that were following them from earlier. The boys had left before they got out of the dressing room, obviously a tactic for them to position themselves in the girl's path for the return trip. Nikki took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself to kick their balls into next week if they tried anything stupid.

"Hi. You girls are finished shopping so soon?" one of the boys asked. He was tall, lean, and the bravest of the group.

"Why you tired of following us yet?" Nikki countered.

"We'd never get tired of following you two around," the second boy replied. He was also lean, though not as tall as his friend.

"Right," Nikki said sarcastically. "Well I'm tired enough for all of you so don't do it anymore."

Bria and Nikki started to walk away. But the boys were persistent and followed, although now it was at a further distance than they'd been before. Bria decided that the best course of action would be to ignore them so they walked into an accessory store. Nikki tried to pay attention to the earrings and necklaces, finding a necklace and bracelet both shaped like snakes that would complement the silver in her dress. But the third guy who hadn't spoken kept looking at her. The girls paid for their purchased then Bria suggested that they just head home. Nikki threw the boys a dirty look before she and her cousin made a beeline for the department store that would deposit them to the lot with Bria's car. She really had hoped they would get the hint but they kept following. Knowing that it would be really foolish to go outside where the chances of them getting physical would increase, Nikki threw caution to the wind, turning to face them.

"I thought I told you to back off. Keep following us and I will serve you your nuts in a sack," she threw out angrily.

The first guy put his hands up and backed away, "Ok we get it. Sorry."

The second guy threw the third one a glance, "Good thing you didn't get her number man. She's too feisty."

The third guy, the stockiest of the three gave her a small smile. He was Nikki's type: muscles, big, masculine. He looked like hard, unyielding, sturdy. It was the type of man she'd grown up around. He looked like he could put up with her shit, give as good as he got. He wouldn't fold up like the others eventually had. He actually moved closer to her and her cousin. Bria took a step back but Nikki held her ground. When he got within hand shaking distance he stopped producing a piece of paper which he held out to her.

"I'm sorry we followed you. I just wanted a chance to give you my number," he said in a voice that made her nerves tingle. It was deep and low, his attempt at keeping his words intimate foiled. His was the type of voice that you would always hear the rumble of, even if you couldn't hear exactly what was being said.

"You always this creepy when you like a girl?" Nikki asked him evenly.

"You're the first girl I've ever followed," he laughed at himself, "My friends told me I'm crazy."

"That's the smartest thing your friends have said all night," she told him, still in that even voice, but the atmosphere around them started to shift. She caught herself. She was not going to flirt with this kid. She plucked the number out of his hand, tearing it up in front of him. He grinned wider.

"Guess you're not gonna call me," he said ruefully.

"Probably not," Bria said coming up behind Nikki. She thrust a piece of paper into the boy's hand then grabbed Nikki by the arm to march out of the store. "So you better do it instead," she threw at him in parting. Nikki looked over her shoulder to see him wave at Bria, his wide smile back in place. As soon as they were in the car Nikki started up.

"What did you do that for?"

"Don't con me. You know you liked him. Besides, he deserved it. He'll owe his friends for life after making them follow us through the mall," Bria trilled. The girl was such a hopeless romantic.

"They probably pull that stunt all the time," Nikki mumbled petulantly, folding her arms over her chest.

"They probably should. It's a good one." Nikki didn't speak to Bria for the rest of the ride home.

The following night Nikki was at Bria's house, working on graduation party favors. They were sprawled out in the family room, Bria cutting pictures of herself in a cap and gown while Nikki stuffed the pictures into little key chains. Aunt Mia was expecting fifty people to show up for the festivities which meant she wanted sixty of everything, just in case.

"You think your parents will let you come to the party at Desiree's?" Bria asked her, grabbing another sheet of pictures. Nikki pondered this. Desiree was also a senior. Her parents were letting her throw a huge bash at her house for the whole senior class. It had turned into a free for all kind of party though. Her parents had grudgingly allowed it, apparently going to stay at a hotel for the duration.

"Sounds cool, but I dunno."

"Let me rephrase. You are coming to this party."

"I don't think my parents will let me."

"Aunt Letty might."

"But my dad won't. And she won't go against him."

"So get her to help him make the right decision."

Nikki's ringtone saved her from making a snappy retort. The number wasn't one in her contacts. She ignored it.

"Aren't you gonna pick that up?" Bria asked pointing the scissors at the phone.

"You do realize I'm sixteen right? Sixteen, you're eighteen. Rising junior in high school, rising freshman in college. Aunt of two, two brother's with no kids," Nikki told her cousin, pointing between them to make her point.

"I can't hear any more excuses Nikki. And would you pick up already?" Bria motioned at the cell phone now singing again. Feeling like she wanted to argue the point some more, drive home the fact that it would be hard to convince her parents to let her go, she ignored it again.

"Do you recognize how strict my dad has been ever since Junior brought home Nic?"

"You're not the one with the kids."

"Yeah, well the damage is done. My dad sees today's social situation as a tomorrow's inevitable pregnancy."

"Uncle Dom is not that bad."

"You don't live with him," Nikki reminded her.

"I'm not hearing anymore until you at least try." They started discussing people at school until the key chains were completed. Now to cut the edges of the thank you message Bria had written and roll them up. Aunt Mia wanted them to look like mini diplomas. Two hours later the girls were ready to be rid of the sixty little sachels. Tying the last bag and placing it in the basket they would rest in until the party was the most satisfying feeling.

"I'm going to grab a trash bag. Be right back," Bria told Nikki before scurrying to the kitchen. Nikki lay on the carpet and closed her eyes. It was almost ten and she was tired. Fortunately they had a half-day of school in the morning. Her cell phone started ringing again. Eyes closed she reached for it, sliding the phone open.

"Yeah?"

"Hi," the deep baritone voice greeted her. Nikki's nerves gave a tingle and her breath caught. It was the guy from the mall yesterday.

"Hi," she greeted him in shock. Guys never called this quickly.

"Is this a bad time?"

"I wouldn't have picked up if it was."

"I'll keep that in mind." He sounded like he was smiling. She grinned too.

"As long as that's established, what's your name?"

"Jordan Todd. You're Nikki. Or at least that's what the paper says."

"You called rather quick. I was expecting a two day grace period."

Jordan chuckled, "Uh, I would have but I want to go out with you on Saturday."

"So?"

"I just thought there were rules for that. You know ask her at least three days in advance."

"It's only Tuesday. You could have called tomorrow."

"I was running out of time. I didn't want to take the chance you'd found another mall stalker."

"Well rest easy. You're still my only one," Nikki told him dryly but there was a smile on her face.

"So what do you say to a movie Saturday night?"

"Can't. I have long standing plans Saturday."

"All day?"

"Yep."

Jordan chuckled again, "See what I mean? It's only Tuesday and someone already has the jump on me."

Nikki started laughing, "These things sometime happen."

"Lucky I called early enough to still be eligible to ask for Friday instead."

"Friday?" Nikki sat up. She found she wanted to go but if her dad wouldn't let her go to a party, he definitely wasn't going to let her go on a date.

"Yeah. You wanna go to a movie with me Friday night?"

"Yes."

"Great! When can I pick you up?"

"Uh, uh" she started hedging. She didn't want to seem like she wasn't interested. She wanted to make it work, to do this for herself. "I'll already be out so I'll just meet you there."

"How's seven?"

"Seven's great. Same mall?"

"Yep. You're not going to stand me up are you?"

"Not this time," she said flippantly making him laugh again. Nikki opened her eyes to find her cousin staring at her like a loon. "I gotta go. See ya."

"Yeah, see ya Friday."

"You went from sacked nuts to a date in less than a day! Wow I really hate you right now," Bria ribbed as soon as Nikki disconnected the call.

"Don't start. Anything can happen between now and Friday," Nikki warned, stuffing the paper and photo scraps into the trash bag.

"The only thing that better happen is an outfit choice and some begging to go."

Nikki sighed heavily, "So I've got party begging and date begging. You have anymore to add?"

Bria looked like she wanted to comment but the front door opened, her father finally home from work. He waved to the girls, kissing both on the top of their heads, before tiredly flopping onto the couch.

"Well I'm gonna get going," Nikki said moving for the front door.

"No wait a sec," Bria called out before going to sit by her dad. "Daddy?"

"Oh no. What do you want Bria?" Brian had picked up on the sickly sweet way she'd said his name. Usually that meant she was going to ask him something that Mia wouldn't approve of.

"Can Nikki stay over on Saturday night?"

"Can you stand going to Mass on Sunday Nikki?" He asked his niece. Mia was very firm on them attending Mass every week.

"Yes," she answered quickly understanding why Bria had asked for the impromptu sleepover without consulting her first.

"Then I don't care. Yes," he said before giving out a huge yawn. Bria hugged him.

"Thank you Daddy! And you don't mind us going out Saturday night," she added swiftly.

"Nope. I already told you I didn't." Bria kissed her father on the cheek and he grinned. "You just conned the hell outta my ass didn't you."

"Language Daddy," she said with a smirk.

"Thanks Uncle Brian," Nikki added flashing her cousin a wide smile complete with a wink. Looks like the party was taken care of. But on the ride home she contemplated who would help her work the 'rents when Bria went off to college in the fall.

* * *

"Abuelo! I wanna popsicle!" Gio's whine carried from the family room to the kitchen. Junior had surprisingly shown up for dinner the following night, boys in tow. He was acting like slightly less than a zombie. It was a start. Currently he and Dom were attempting to watch some race on TV while the boys entertained themselves playing with their toy cars.

Nikki was currently standing behind her mom, her arms curled around Letty's shoulders, the fingers on her right hand trapped between her mother's shoulder and Nikki's face. It was a position that was comforting to Nikki although her head had started out much lower on her mother's back when Nikki had been younger. But now Nikki and Letty were the same height and the position had morphed into this one. It wasn't something that Nikki often did anymore but tonight she was feeling in an affectionate mood. A slow Spanish love song started to play on the small radio in the kitchen, the tune one of Letty's favorites. The humming Letty began vibrated through Nikki and she started to sway, sniffing in her mother's familiar scent: oil from the garage, the vanilla shampoo she used, the slightly spicy scent of her father's cologne that seemed to permeate everything in her parent's room.

"You're supposed to be helping with the dishes little chica," Letty said without heat. It felt comfortable to have her kids so near. And Nikki made it easy with these hugs to be affectionate without doing much.

"Mami, you and Papi got together when you were sixteen," Nikki said quietly.

"Yep."

"You think you were too young?"

"To love him? No. I loved him since I was ten."

"Ten?"

"He was really slow on the uptake." They shared an identical secret smile.

"Did he ever take you out like on a date?"

"A couple times. I was much older than sixteen though."

"Why didn't you two ever get married?"

"We like our freedom."

"Mami, you two have been together for close to thirty years. That's weak," Nikki quipped. Letty laughed. "Please tell me he at least proposed to you."

Letty shook her head but Nikki knew it wasn't an answer, "You got a reason for analyzing my mating habits?"

"I got asked out," Nikki admitted wanting to keep the situation as general as possible. She didn't want to run the risk of her parents forbidding her to go out on Friday.

"Oh yeah? Kids still do that? I just thought ya all just hooked up."

Nikki laughed silently, shaking her mom gently, "We're bringing dating back, just like sexy, and the mini skirt."

"I take it you like this guy," Letty said slowly contemplating her daughter's answers.

"Maybe. It's too early to tell. Think Papi will give me a hard time?"

"Dunno. You fucking around like Junior?"

Nikki felt herself get embarrassed, "Ma!"

"Don't 'ma' me. It's just a question." Letty rinsed off the last dish then dried her hands. Placing her one hand on Nikki's, the other on her daughter's head, she swayed gently to the beat of the music. Nikki started moving too, keeping them both in sync.

"I'm not nor do I plan to anytime soon."

"I did when I was your age."

"But you didn't have Nic and Gio as a _big_ deterrent. I can keep it in my pants."

Letty shook her head. The kid didn't stand a chance. Both sides of her family were known to be very passionate people. Italians and Hispanics. Stallions and Latin Lovers. Letty was just waiting for the guy that would steal her daughter's heart. "I don't care if you want to go on dates, but I want you to get birth control."

"I don't know if that's worth going to the gyno," Nikki said sarcastically.

"Something wrong with you baby girl?" Dom asked catching his daughter's comment. He opened the freezer to grab popsicles for his grandsons.

"And he's got to meet your Dad," Letty added. Nikki pulled away. Dom looked over at them, taking in how similar in looks they were. Both the same height, both with curly hair although Nikki wore hers longer, same brown eyes, same general body type. But Nikki had his temperament.

"Who?" Dom asked suspiciously looking at his daughter shrewdly.

"The boy who asked her out on a _date_," Letty supplied. Dom's eyes narrowed.

"Suddenly it's not worth all the hassle," Nikki said sternly crossing her arms, staring daggers at her mom. Letty chuckled.

"Abuelo, we get popsicles now?" Gio called out, running into the kitchen.

"What does the doctor have to do with a date?" he asked in a deceptively dangerous voice. Nic rushed into the kitchen at the sound of ripping wrappers.

"They're not really related," Nikki told him.

"I'm not ready for more grandkids Dom," Letty explained.

"I wanna red one Abuelo," Nic said eagerly. Dom handed each boy a popsicle then placed a hand on each little head to turn them around, directing them back into the family room.

"You're asking your mother for birth control?" Dom felt like his world was spinning. Suddenly the fact that she looked like Letty was disconcerting. He remembered what he'd been doing with Letty when she was sixteen.

"She didn't ask. It's one of my stipulations for her to go out with boys," Letty defended.

"And the other is I have to meet 'em?"

"Yeah, but you can drop your blood pressure. I'm not beat," Nikki told him dismissively.

"You like this guy?" Dom sounded anxious.

Nikki rolled her eyes, "I don't know. I've talked to him like twice."

Dom's pressure seemed to come down. She didn't seem like she cared if she saw this guy or not, giving Dom relief. He wasn't ready for Nikki to grow up, to start bringing guys around. Brian had lamented about how he just wanted to lock Bria up when she started going out with guys. Now Dom understood how his friend had felt. Nikki started to walk through the family room. She wanted to go upstairs, escape the conversation she'd just barely escaped.

"Play cars Auntie Nikki?" Gio offered. His face and t-shirt were stained orange.

"Not tonight honey. I'm tired."

"We go night-night?" Gio asked her. Nikki looked at her brother but he continued to stare at the TV. Letty ran into the room scooping Gio up. He squealed.

"First you need a bath little man," Letty said rubbing her nose on his little neck, tickling him.

Dom came in behind her tucking Nic under his arm. The boy tried to squirm away.

"I don't wanna bath," Nic said petulantly.

"Tough you're sticky and you stink," Dom told him. The pair trooped up the stairs with their charges in tow. Nikki plopped down on the couch next to Junior.

"I'm going to ask to move back in," Junior said eyes still on the TV screen.

"Good. I'll save gas since I won't have to come get the boys all the time," Nikki responded. Junior turned to look at her and it was like he was x-raying her.

"I'm trying."

"I know," she told him. He patted her leg then stood, his hand outstretched to help her up. They turned off the lights then went upstairs to join the others in Junior's old room. The boys were just jumping into bed, clean and settling in for a story. Dom and Letty gave the boys kisses then retreated to their bedroom. Nikki bet her right toe that they were going to discuss her dating rights some more. Nikki kissed the boys next. Junior approached last to situate himself between the two boys on the bed. He opened the book and both boys immediately lay against his side to look at the pictures. It was a start.

* * *

Nikki walked up to Jordan Todd Friday grateful that her parents hadn't asked too many questions about her sudden desire to 'run errands'. She was starting to feel like she'd made a good choice meeting him at the theater. Her heart would have given her away to her parents pumping as hard as it was. She was nervous even though she knew that she'd barely be showing it on her face. The smile he gave her was so openly pleased to see her that it had been difficult to suppress an answering smile. They didn't touch but he paid for their tickets and snacks. He let her proceed before him through doorways, she got to pick the seats. They were still early, general ads playing on the screen.

"So how was your week?" Jordan asked.

"Great. I'm so glad we had half days at school. I got to spend more time at the garage," she supplied.

"You work in a garage?"

"I help out there, yeah," Nikki said looking into his expression. He looked impressed.

"That's really cool. I'm not very mechanical."

"Well you're doing something to get those muscles then."

He grinned, "I box."

"You any good?"

"I'm alright," he said modestly. "Where do you go to school?"

Jordan and Nikki chatted for a few more moments, realizing they went to different high schools. Jordan was going to be a senior and was a year older that her. He had four older brothers. His family was as religious as her Aunt Mia, attending Mass every Sunday too. They had similar tastes in music. He admitted he found her attitude intriguing. The movie started but Nikki felt like she was still the focus of his attention, though he never touched her, not even accidentally. The action flick was entertaining and she tried to concentrate on it. She tossed more popcorn into her mouth but one of the kernels missed, disappearing down her shirt. Unashamed she pulled her shirt slightly away from her body, reaching down to pluck it from where it had snagged on her bra.

The movement to her right caught her attention. She hastily released her shirt then gave Jordan a look. His face was oriented to the screen but his posture was stiff. He looked uncomfortable, like he was trying to take slow deep breaths. She watched his hands were slowly starting to uncurl from fists. Weird. She didn't eat any more popcorn for the rest of the movie and he didn't look at her again. When the house lights came up, they had returned to normal. She followed him out of the row but he left space for her to travel the stairs before him. When they finally reached the outside of the theater stopped to look at him.

"Well…" she started but he cut her off.

"I'll walk you to your car," he said. It was dark outside now but the lot was well lit. Nikki's independent side wanted to tell him to cut out the big brother act. But the part of her that had been hyper aware of him told her to shut up and accept his offer. She nodded to him then didn't wait for him to trail behind her. Arriving at her car she turned undecided at what she should do. Did he expect a hug or a _kiss_?

"This was cool Jordan."

"Yeah. I had a great time. We should do this again," he said stuffing his hands into his pockets. Not knowing what else to say Nikki got in her car. He stood aside as she backed out then smiled until she drove away.

The graduation party at the O'Connor house was in full swing Saturday afternoon. The girls were parading around in their new dresses talking to family and friends gathered for the occasion. The modest house and backyard were spilling over with people. Nikki was just returning from the bathroom when she walked into the kitchen to find Bria nibbling on a carrot stick.

"Finally, we have two unsupervised moments together," Bria said conspiratorially wiggling the stick at her. Nikki knew Bria was too impatient to wait for a play-by-play of the night before. Circumstances of the day had kept them too busy to talk about it.

"Shouldn't you be out entertaining your guests," Nikki said dryly.

"Don't play shy. Dish the goods."

"Went to a movie, it was cool," Nikki said evasively coming to stand closer to her cousin. They both braced themselves against the counter.

"And..."

"And…that's it. We talked, he's cool, I came home."

"You're a shitty liar," Bria told her. A song that they both liked began to filter in from outside. They bumped shoulders grinning. Bria started dancing and Nikki laughed. Bria tugged her cousin's hair, "Come on!"

They started dancing, the moves silly at first then slowly transitioning to reflect their age. There was slightly more swing in their hips, more definition in the shake of their shoulders, the moves becoming fluid. Their favorite part of the song finally arrived and they dropped to the floor before winding slowly back up. Bria grinned wide and they both fell into loud guffaws.

"Your Dad know you drop it like that?" a slow measured voice called out to them from the entryway to the dining room.

"Probably not Uncle Han," Nikki replied giddily.

"What do you know about dancing?" Bria teased.

He smiled mysteriously, "Enough."

Bria gave Nikki an exaggerated wink and they both advanced on him, each grabbing a hand and incorporating him into their dance moves. Thirty seconds in he started to laugh, loping an arm casually around each girl's neck.

"I feel sorry for the guys that run into you two," he joked shuffling them out the back door. He sat in a seat amongst their other uncles and fathers then tugged each to sit on his legs. "So how many hearts have you two broken since last week?"

Bria smiled wide and Nikki knocked her knee significantly into her cousin's.

"None but the week's not out yet," Bria tossed at him. He grinned.

"No hearts," Nikki agreed.

"But she offered to package some kid's nuts in a sack," Bria teased. Han, Vince, Leon, and Brian laughed.

"Just one?" Dom asked his eyebrow raised.

"Three Uncle Dom," Bria supplied readily. This time everyone but Nikki laughed.

"That's my girl," he said smiling. Nikki's cell phone started singing and she stuck out her tongue at her cousin before answering it.

"Yeah."

"Hi," Jordan's baritone voice greeted. Nikki's mouth fell open, her eyes going slightly wide, her face starting to feel warm.

"Uh, hi," she stammered out. Bria gave her a knowing smirk. Nikki could feel the others boring holes into her with their stares. She rarely lost the ability for speech.

"I know you said you were busy today but I wanted to catch you before you made plans with some other guy," he said jovially. She laughed.

"Wow, you really suck at playing hard to get," she quipped. He laughed and she grinned. Her father's frown made her stand up to find privacy but her Uncle Han caught her arm with an evil grin on his face. She was trapped.

"I'll work on that."

Feeling testy she returned to a cooler tone, "It's only Saturday."

"Yeah, but I'm cutting it close. I'm trying for Wednesday."

Nikki blinked. He wanted to go out again so soon? "You couldn't have waited till tomorrow?"

"Well it's bowling with a group from church. I have to RSVP by tomorrow."

"Oh."

"I know what you're thinking but they're really cool people. No one will get preachy. It's strictly fellowship," he added.

"Uh huh." She wanted to ask him where. She wanted to say yes but they were still looking at her. She didn't want to seem suspicious by hanging up right away.

"You could meet us there. It's on the same street as the mall, maybe two blocks up. Starts at six."

"Sure," she said casually hoping her dad couldn't tell what she'd agreed to.

"Great," he sounded relieved, "Are you going to stand me up?"

"It's possible," she said unable to resist. He chuckled.

"Well maybe I'll see you."

"Maybe. Bye."

"Bye Nikki." She stared at the phone for a minute before chucking it at Bria.

"What was that about?" Dom asked irritably. Nikki looked different, excited.

"Did he just ask you out again?" Bria asked at the same time.

"Some boy asked you out baby girl?" Leon piped up. He suddenly felt relieved that he only had a son. Nikki nodded and Dom's face got tight.

"He really doesn't waste any time," Bria said appreciatively. Nikki kicked her.

"So when do I get to meet him," Dom said deceptively calm.

"Don't get lathered up. I turned him down," Nikki ground out.

"It didn't look that way," Vince added looking bent out of shape.

"Well I did. Guess it puts my heart break tally at one." Han, Leon, and Brian laughed. Vince gave a grudging smile. But Dom stared at his daughter the rest of the day trying to figure out if she really meant what she'd said about breaking the kid's heart.

Nikki walked into the bowling alley Wednesday five minutes late. She'd rushed home, showered, and dressed at top speed before driving over there. So what if she felt a little guilt. She'd told her parents that she was going bowling with friends, but she hadn't mentioned that the friends belonged to someone else. It didn't take her long to find Jordan. He met her by the counter where a man was checking off names on a clip board. He made a quick introduction, got her some shoes, then led her over to the other teens they would be playing with tonight. Nikki found that Jordan had been right about how cool the other kids were. No one got preachy on her or made her feel uncomfortable. There were a lot of kids that weren't affiliated with the church at all.

She and Jordan were on separate teams. They ended up going to the lane at the same time. In courtesy he watched her pick a ball first before choosing his custom one from the stack grouped there. She raised an eyebrow at him, gesturing that he could go first but he waved her on.

"Ladies first." Lining herself up she took a deep breath then traveled to the line, releasing the ball at the last possible second. She downed two pins. She walked back to the ball return to wait for her ball while Jordan stepped up take his shot. She watched his muscles bunch as he lined up looking at the lane. He let out a deep breath then strode to the line, releasing the ball in a very straight line. He got a strike. His team whooped with glee and he threw her a happy smile before returning to his seat. Nikki took her next shot but only ended up downing another two pins. Oh well. This really wasn't her game.

"Don't worry you'll do better next frame," he told her bracingly.

"Easy for you to say. You just struck out," she teased as she sat, patting his leg. His reaction was instant. He stiffened looking highly uncomfortable. She removed her hand embarrassed. What was his damage? They continued to play but the next time he returned to a seat facing her and they didn't get close again. After the second game people started gathering up to leave. People started hugging goodbyes, making mention of when they would see each other again. Nikki watched Jordan hug some of the girls briefly, clearly not opposed to touching everyone, just her. He walked her to her car again and she just felt like brushing him off.

"Thanks for coming," he told her softly, hands in his pockets again.

"Yep," she said shortly. Two kids walked by waving to Jordan who nodded at them in return. He looked back at her face.

"There's a poetry thing Saturday night. Would you come with me?"

"You're kidding me," Nikki said in frustration. He'd avoided her most of the night but he wanted to go out again?

"Nope. You don't like poetry?"

"Is this a joke?"

"No," he said in confusion.

"You don't look at me the whole night but you want me to go out with you again. You messin' me around?"

He gave her a self-depreciating smile, "Oh that."

"Yeah that," she spat.

"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"You didn't. You just made it clear you didn't want to be around me." He chuckled, stepping to close the distance between them.

"Night Jordan!" called some more kids.

"See ya!" he yelled back without turning his head. Nikki worked to remove the scowl from her face. He was in her space, large and unyielding. Her nerves started to tingle. Then he spoke in that low bass, his words meant to be intimately for her, "Nikki I really enjoy being around you. I wouldn't keep asking you out otherwise. So please, would you come with me on Saturday?"

She nodded and he grinned. His hands came out of his pockets and he unfolded her arms, removing her keys from her hands. He unlocked the door then held it open for her, placing the keys back in her hand. They were really close now, his breath lightly fanning her face. She braced her hand on his forearm still holding the door for her, coming to her toes, searching his eyes. She felt him stiffen under her hand but it didn't kill her desire to kiss him. She'd almost gotten there but he moved his head, her breath fanning across his neck instead.

"Nikki," he partly groaned, partly whispered, partly pleaded. She felt heat blossom through her.

"Oh," she said softly pulling away she got in the car.

"Goodnight," he told her. He shut her door then walked away.

"Will there be a waiting period between you meeting a guy and me going out with him, or can he show up the day of and get his interview out of the way on the spot?" Nikki asked her dad the following night at dinner. Dom paused in his eating to look at her.

"I thought he wasn't worth it," he stalled.

"He still might not be. I'm just gathering information."

"He can come here a few days before," Dom said grumpily, "I want him to have time to really let my talk sink in before he takes you out."

"Papi!"

"Dom!" Nikki and Letty exclaimed at the same time. Dom met Letty's rolling eyes.

"I'll behave as long as your boyfriend does," Dom said tersely. Nikki kept her mouth shut, deciding that she shouldn't rock the boat since he was being more understanding. "So when should I expect him?"

Nikki shrugged. "He may not ask me out again," she replied. Technically it was possible, he'd already asked her out so Saturday didn't really count. But her parents didn't need to know that quite yet. She'd let the rule apply to Jordan's next offer.

"I'm surprised he asked you a second time," Letty mused.

"Yeah. He finds my attitude entertaining. Go figure," Nikki mumbled the last bit under her breath. Letty smiled to herself. Dom had found Letty's attitude entertaining too.

* * *

Once Jordan had met her parents, the summer seemed to breeze by. He had been allowed to pick her up, take her out. He made it a point to come in and talk to her parents every time he came there. And when Junior moved in, it wasn't abnormal for him to talk to Junior or play with Gio and Nic till they left. She'd been invited to attend Mass with him one Sunday and met his family. She'd been amused to find that all the men in his family were stocky, the women all skinny and wearing long skirts. The Todd's were polite to her, but she couldn't help feeling that Mr. Todd had been offended by her somehow. He kept looking at her skirt in distaste, her curves in a hostile fashion. But Jordan had been so happy she hadn't mentioned it. And when she started going to Mass with him full time she wore longer skirts just in case.

Bria and Nikki still spent as much time as possible together but Nikki found that Bria's move to college was a blow cushioned by Jordan's presence. They both set up Myspace pages so they could keep in touch and chronicle life in both places. And before Nikki could work up a good cry about Bria going to college, school started cramming her schedule tight with homework and projects. Jordan started weight training vigorously so between their schedules they rarely saw each other anymore.

Nikki was really starting to get sick of school by October. She was lying on her bed, books spread around her, listening to music loud enough to drown out the boys playing downstairs. She wanted to get through this chapter of her history reading before Jordan called. She tried to concentrate on text but the songs all seemed to remind her of the laziness of the summer. Turning on her back to stare at the ceiling she idly wondered if her Aunt Mia had done the same thing when this room had been hers back in the day. There was a quick knock on her door ten minutes later followed by Nic coming to jump on her.

"Aunt Nikki, Jordan's downstairs for you," he said. He was in kindergarten now and his speech seemed to reflect that. Nikki sat up, her mind racing. Did they have plans today? She ran her fingers through her hair, pulling it into a quick ponytail then shooed Nic out so she could change into jeans and a t-shirt. Slipping into a pair of flats she sprayed herself with perfume, finally taking a few deep calming breaths before lazily sauntering down the stairs. She didn't want to seem too eager.

"What's your story tonight?" she greeted him. He was sitting on the floor playing with Gio and Nic, her parents lazing on the couch and Junior missing in action.

"Working on spontaneity. You want to go out for some I.C.E. C.R.E.A.M.?" he spelled out to cover it from Nic and Gio.

"Right now?"

"Yeah. It's part of that spontaneous thing I just told you about," he teased. She threw him a grin.

"Can I go?" Nikki asked her parents.

"You finish your homework?" Letty asked.

"Maybe," she hedged.

"Then maybe you should be home by nine," Letty drawled. Nikki didn't argue, grabbing her jacket and pointless wallet. Jordan always paid for everything anyway. Jordan made his farewells and they headed for the ice cream parlor near the beach.

"So the church is having a Harvest festival next weekend."

"What's that?"

"Well we don't celebrate Halloween so this is an alternative to that."

"You don't celebrate Halloween. What do you do while everyone goes out for candy?"

He laughed, "We have the festival the day before and still hand out candy for the kids. Everyone get's dressed up, even the adults. Only we keep it in good taste so no witches, or ghosts, or devils, that sort of thing."

Nikki pondered the concept. Didn't sound too terrible. Halloween fell on a Saturday this year so that meant they would have plans for next Friday.

"Ok. What time should I be ready?"

"It starts at seven. And my friend Kevin, you met him at the mall, he's having a party at his house after."

"Count me in," Nikki said absently. They reached the parlor and ordered ice cream but Nikki didn't want to stay still. She loved the ocean. So they walked down the boardwalk eating their ice cream and making plans. Nikki noticed that he didn't eat the cone, preferring to throw it away while she ate hers with indecency. It was her favorite part. When she finished her fingers were sticky with ice cream. He laughed at her attempt to lick her fingers clean.

"Here, make yourself useful," she teased, wiggling her other hand in his face. He caught her wrist easily with his hand then paused to get a really good look. She started to pull away but he placed his other hand around her already trapped one, positioning it. She stopped breathing when his lips parted and he licked her finger. She watched his tongue dart out between the spaces, laving her lovingly. She felt her heart jump and her breathing start up again loudly in her ears when he finally looked her in the eyes. It was just a second before he closed them and sucked her finger into his mouth, his tongue swirling around it. He released her hand gently and she whimpered at the loss of heat.

This from the guy who barely held her hand, who had never kissed her in all the months they'd been dating. She knew he was attracted to her in that way, had known it since the trip to the bowling alley. But they never acted on it. He shied away from them getting any closer. But right now she really wished he would. They stood on the boardwalk looking at each other, slightly out of breath. Nikki finally took a step forward, reaching on her toes to find his mouth with hers but he stepped away. She almost fell but he didn't try to catch her.

"I'm sorry," he told her hastily. Nikki felt like the whole situation was suddenly jacked up. It had to be because she felt like crying. Instead she started walking back to the car, not caring if he kept up or not. She made it to the car in record time and had to stand waiting for a minute while he caught up to open her door. She didn't make the mistake of trying to touch him again. They rode in silence back to her house, Nikki practically ejecting herself out of the car. Jordan ran to catch her.

"Nikki wait," he pleaded not wanting her to leave angry. She got all the way to the door, thrust her key in the lock. He reached her, crowding her on the porch before she could turn the knob. But he didn't touch. "I didn't mean to hurt your feeling earlier."

"I'm really starting to wonder," Nikki told him coldly. Her feelings were hurt. She didn't understand.

"Please don't leave angry," he whispered to her. Her nerves started to tingle again however she savagely beat down the desire to be so close to him.

"Good luck at your match on Saturday," she told him right before she entered the house and slammed the door in his face.

Nikki had contemplated not coming to Jordan's boxing match on Saturday. Emotions were still jumbled regarding the last time they'd seen each other. She kept herself intentionally busy with her nephews and at the garage, even though she missed Jordan and wanted to talk to him. So there she was, sitting in the back, much further than his family watching him pummel his opponent. He won. Normally he would smile, the whole thing would light up his face. However today the smile didn't last long, fading soon after it began. Deciding to let him off the hook, she waited for him patiently to show. Half an hour later he turned up, going to greet his family. They hugged him during this break in the matches then she watched them filing out of the boxing studio. She knew Jordan would probably stay to watch more matches and he obliged her by sitting down in the very empty row.

"Great match," she said softly. He stood up swiftly, gathering her up in his arms.

"Nikki," he breathed in her hair, "I thought you stood me up."

"I couldn't. Not this time," she told him when he let her go. He grinned at her then looked around the area, probably for his coach. After a minute of searching he took her hand and started leading them out of the building. He walked around the side then pulled her with him as walked around the side of a large van. Mouth open to ask him what he was doing, she was unprepared for the kiss he assaulted her with. It took her ten seconds to figure out what he was doing before she began to kiss him back. His kisses were frantic, aggressive. Making out with him was not for those with weak lips. Desperate to give as good as she got, Nikki mimicked his moves. But he was just physically much stronger than she could ever be. His breath was coming in short quick bursts when he pulled his lips from hers, his hand palm facing her down her neck and shoulder, letting it rest openly on her breast.

"You want me Nikki?" He whispered to her, his lips so close that the words tickled her mouth. She moaned but he didn't move. "Do you Nikki? You want me?" She nodded. "Then say it. Tell me you want me," he demanded in low seductive voice.

"I want you," she whispered seductively.

"You're like Delilah to me," he said referring to the woman in the Bible who temped Samson the strong man, "You're going to get me in nothing but trouble," he whispered back before kissing her again.


	9. Defying Nurture for Nature

**Disclaimer: **Don't own. Don't sue. Thanks!

**Defying Nurture for Nature**

Trisha shifted her weight from side to side, waiting for Ronnie's latest pet to respond. She didn't know her mother did it. Ronnie was well known in Vegas. She'd been a show girl for over ten years. But as her boobs started to sag and wrinkles started to form she'd thrown all of her energy into becoming the next Mrs. So-and-so. She'd done it too. Ronnie had landed Mr. Very-right three years ago, her marriage tally now at seven. He'd needed an attractive older woman to play Mrs. Upstanding to his mister. And her mother had agreed. So what she had to put up with housing his mistress while he was in town? What did it matter that she should make sure his mistress was well taken care of while he was away? Ronnie had done what any good mother would do: she'd made sure Trisha stayed on his latest paramour's beck and call. This meant that his latest lady love had a personal servant girl to follow her around.

Trisha knocked on the door to what she'd affectionately dubbed the "Play Room". That's what it was. The women staying there were just toys. Mister's mistresses always stayed there. It was the door closest to the stairs, the room furthest away from the master suite at the end. The positioning of the room was very symbolic, or at least that's what she told her mom when Ronnie would start to get a stick up her ass about having to endure the mistresses. Ronnie stayed in the master suite. It was the one furthest from the front door. It would take a lot to get rid of her. She was bound to him by paperwork. But the room closest to the stairs was also closest to the front door. You could expect that the occupants of that room were guests. They weren't going to stay long. Mister had no ties to them.

Trisha knocked again, slightly louder this time. The cell phone in her pocket chirped. She had ten minutes before she needed to roll off to school. One more month and she'd be free of the public education system, a high school graduate of the great state of Nevada. It wasn't customary for her to wake the occupant of the Play Room before she went to school without permission. But the occupant was new and had arrived so late last night that she had fallen asleep before they could discuss a general schedule or to-do list. The second chirp sounded, so she left. The new one would have to wait till after school.

School ended signaling the end of Trisha's social life. Her evenings were going to be filled with homework and the bidding of Mister's latest plaything. She didn't mind so much but she hoped that this one would be better than Audry-drinks-a-lot, the predecessor. She was tired of holding back a woman's hair while she wretched. Pulling into the garage, she was able to enter the house near the kitchen. She snagged an apple, deciding that she should take a snack break before starting her duties. Ronnie found her in there as she was finishing up.

"Trisha darlin', stop dawdling an' get to know our guest," Ronnie told her. That was code for, dig for dirt so she could get the dish later. Unable to put off the initial meeting, Trisha walked over to the sliding glass doors to talk to the woman sunning nude by the pool. It felt weird to see someone being so open about their body. Trisha wasn't a prude. Between frequenting different dressing rooms and helping the various mistresses with their wardrobe she saw her share of naked women. But her general rule of thumb was that full nudity was usually reserved exclusively for when Mister was around. Turning her head to scan the area, she didn't see any sign of him. Strange. Feeling she should get this over with, Trisha coughed lightly to get the woman's attention.

"You have a cold or something?"

"Uh, no. I'm Trisha, your personal assistant while you live here."

"Wow. He wasn't kidding at all. Personal assistant," she mused, giving Trisha a glance over her sunglasses.

"Yeah. I'm here to keep your schedule, make life more comfortable for you." Trisha kept her duties pretty vague. It would be easier to politely refuse ludicrous requests later.

"So you're my handler. Great, the man found me a zookeeper."

Trisha was confused, "Excuse me?"

"Listen, I'm not an animal. And this don't look like the zoo. So you don't have to _keep_ me." The woman had used her fingers to mime quotations around the word 'keep'. She didn't seem like she wanted or liked the type of help Trisha was offering, but Trisha couldn't give up. There really wasn't a choice. It was Ronnie's job to keep the toys in working order. That meant it was Trisha's job to keep them from bitching, pouting, and being unhappy.

"What's your name?"

The woman stuck out her hand, "Jonalis." They shook. Trisha sat down on the ground near Jonalis's chaise. She wanted to be close enough to whisper if she needed to.

"Jonalis. Think of me as your own personal errand girl. Someone to schedule all your massages, hair appointments, and exercise classes. Someone to make sure you get to fittings or rehearsals. Someone to help keep your wardrobe. Someone to look after your dry cleaning. Make sure you have the best tables at restaurants, get access to the things you need, within reason."

Jonalis frowned, turning over so her back was exposed completely to the sun. She rested her head on her arms, turning to look at Trisha. Trisha felt the assessment coming from her gaze but was surprised when Jonalis removed her sunglasses to stare some more.

"How does that work?" Trisha looked confused at the question, "You know, how do we set this up?"

"Uh. Well I would need your general schedule first. Where you absolutely have to be every day and that sort of thing. And then I would collect your to-do list for the next day before bed every night. You get my cell number in case you forget something or need to make changes to your to-do list when I'm out."

"I see. Why wouldn't you be shadowing me the entire time?"

"I'm still in high school."

"Oh," Jonalis seemed to ponder this a long time, "How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"And how long have you been in this line of work?"

"Three years," Jonalis's eyebrows raised in silent question, "I've gotten more duties as I've gotten older. Having a license helps."

"Are you his kid?" No one had ever asked her so many questions off the bat. Trisha shook her head before explaining. It would save heartache later.

"Veronica's my mother." Jonalis laughed. It was a delighted thing, carefree. It didn't sound practiced like the others had been or like her mothers. She found herself grinning in response. Jonalis stood then held her hand out to help Trisha stand. Trisha instinctively reached for the towel holding it open for the woman to wrap up in. Jonalis's smile dimmed a bit but she let herself be wrapped up.

"Come on let's get this schedule thing done before I leave for work."

Working with Jonalis turned out to be fairly easy. She preferred to do things for herself and she understood her place in the household. Some of the girls had thought that Ronnie's tolerance of them meant that she was to be counted as part of the household staff. Those had been quickly put in their place. Others thought that Ronnie was their equal. They foolishly thought she would be interested in anything they had to say. They got their feelings hurt when they realized that she would never accept them, that she was alpha female here. Jonalis never sought out Ronnie's company, actually making it a point to stay out of the older woman's way.

Trisha was only required to wake Jonalis if it was after four pm. Or if she needed to dressed in time to prep for a night with Mister. But most of the time Trisha was home or up, Jonalis wasn't there. Trisha smiled. Not all of Mister's mistresses had been showgirls. He was equal opportunity that way. This one was the party animal. Ronnie thoroughly hated the girl. Ronnie, as a retired showgirl, looked down on girls who stripped. To her, it wasn't as upstanding as being in a show. Jonalis. The party girl. The stripper. One of the few that loved taking her clothes off.

Jonalis was at work by six and it was customary for her to go out with friends afterwards. She'd climb the stairs around six am, take her shower, and be out like a light when Trisha woke for school at quarter to seven. The to-do lists were practically non-existent. The maid took care of keeping clothes and the house clean. The meals were always prepared by the head housekeeper. Jonalis didn't need her to do anything else, content with what the servants already did. Two weeks went by with more leisure than Trisha was used to.

So Trisha was surprised Saturday morning to hear someone knocking on her door at five am. Ronnie and the others never knocked. Mister was out of town. She fumbled out of bed, opening it cautiously with a scowl. Jonalis stood on the other side, halfway into a yawn, the lace clingy lingerie not leaving much to the imagination. Trisha was overdressed by comparison in her baggy pajama pants and oversized t-shirt.

"Something wrong Jonalis?" Trisha said grumpily. She hated being on this side of the sun. People should always wake up _after_ it, not before.

"Get dressed. We're going on a day trip," she said through another yawn.

"Excuse me?" This had not been on the schedule or the non-existent to-do list.

"You've got half an hour," Jonalis told her before striding down the hall to her room. Annoyed, Trisha showered and dressed. She was sitting on the top step waiting for Jonalis twenty minutes later debating whether she should grab breakfast when the bedroom door opened. The woman gave her a wan smile. They had on the same combination of clothes but looked totally different. Trisha's blue jeans and black t-shirt were a relaxed fit, loose but not baggy. Jonalis's jeans were low-rise and molded to her body, the green t-shirt showing off her stomach and clingy. They both had on Puma's.

"Nice shoes," Trisha grumbled.

"Come on." They walked out the front door, making their way towards the front gate.

"We walking to this mystery place?"

"No. You're worse than I am in the morning," Jonalis commented, yawning again. They were met outside the gate by a white SUV. Jonalis hopped in the passenger side but Trisha hesitated. The window wound down. "Come on."

Trisha shook her head. She could see the rest of the car was filled with guys and girls. The driver, clearly visible without the tinted glass flashed a thousand watt smile at her. She felt weird.

Jonalis laughed, "We're not going to sell you into the sex trade. You'll be fine. Get in." Trisha kept looking at her, wary. "I require your services today."

The work request did it. Cursing under her breath Trisha got in. The guy sped off. Quiet conversation swirled around them but Trisha stared out of the window. It wasn't until they got on I-15 south that she started getting uneasy. They were doing more than leaving Vegas. They were probably going to cross state lines.

"Um, Jonalis," she stammered, "Where are we going?"

The driver laughed, giving an indulgent smile, "She didn't tell you?" The others chuckled too. "This is the express to Rodeo Drive."

"As in California?" She said to confirm.

"Yeah. And since it doesn't look like she'll make introductions, I'm Cory," the driver responded. The others began to introduce themselves.

"Felix," the guy next to her said.

"Reyn," continued the woman behind her.

"Allan," acknowledged the man next to her. He had his arm slung around Reyn's shoulder. It looked like they were together.

"Moira," finished the woman next to Allan. They looked at her expectantly.

"Trisha."

"Can we save the convo for breakfast when we get there? I'm sleepy," Jonalis called out to the group. They laughed again and everyone settled down, Cory turning the music up slightly so he could drive. Trisha watched the road until she fell asleep too.

They arrived in the city by eleven, their first order of business to eat. Trisha was content to observe the behavior of Jonalis's friends. They walked into the greasy spoon taking seats at the counter. Her friends were dressed similar to her, the girls' pants and shirts very fitted, the guys' pants and shirts looser but still cut close enough to showcase their toned bodies. Some of the customers glanced at them. They were worth looking at, but when their eyes found Trisha, they would glance away. She looked normal, not requiring notice. The waitress approached to take their orders. The guys naturally ordered more food the girls. She finally reached Trisha.

"I'll have a Spanish omelet, breakfast potatoes, bacon, and a short stack," Trisha said promptly. The waitress looked stunned, "and a large orange juice," the waitress continued to stare, so she added with a bit more bite, "today."

"Don't think she was expecting that," Cory smiled at her.

"Why not? I'm starving."

"No exchanges or substitution requests," he explained jerking his thumb to point down the counter at the rest of the party, "And it's a little more than the others ordered."

She shrugged, "What can I say? I'm a growing girl." Cory laughed. Breakfast came, halting conversation again. She concentrated on her plate, steadily eating until she was cheerfully popping the last syrupy bite of pancake in her mouth. Looking down at the others, they were still working to finish.

"You weren't kidding around," Allan teased watching the waitress clear her dishes.

"I was raised not to play with my food," she teased back. The guys laughed. It was clear they were going to accept her as one of them. She was less fussy than the women they normally ran into. They piled back in the SUV to make their way to Rodeo Drive. Once on foot, she took in the names of the stores. Valentino. Prada. Vuitton. Hermes. Gucci. Fendi. Dior.

"Ferragamo!" Reyn moaned appreciatively.

Moira tugged on her arm, "Down girl."

"Ok who picks first?" Allan asked, looping his arm around Reyn's shoulders. Jonalis pointed at Felix.

"Let's get BCBG out of the way first," Felix commanded. They entered the store and the girls disbursed. Trisha took a seat next to Cory. Mister probably wouldn't notice or care if she ran up charges for new clothes but these really weren't her style. She watched the girls slowly progress through the store, touching things, cooing over the cuts and colors, pulling outfits to try. This first trip to Los Angeles was not what she would have planned. It looked like it would be interesting. Her plans had centered around a different area and purpose altogether.

"This isn't a spectator sport Trisha," Jonalis told her as she circled the area to peruse the handbags.

"Huh?"

"Means she expects you to buy something while we're in Cali," Cory told her in a mock whisper.

"I'm not a big BCBG fan," Trisha said dryly waving to her outfit. He tossed her his thousand watt smile bringing out her grin in return.

"Let's go. Nothing fits," Reyn pouted. The group moved on. Slowly they began to accumulate baggage. The trip turned out to be very fun. The guys would give opinions on the girls' choices and vice versa. They poked fun at one another. They joked around. No one commented when Trisha pulled out a credit card to charge Jonalis's merchandise. No one treated Trisha like she wasn't a normal part of the group. In addition to clothes each person splurged on a treat. Reyn pouted till she got new Ferragamo shoes. Moira dropped twelve hundred on a Fendi handbag that she absolutely couldn't let stay in the store. Felix was wearing a new Gucci watch which caught the sunlight and made it shimmer. Allan got Dior sunglasses that Trisha really felt lent him an air of arrogance. They found themselves in the Juicy Couture store so Cory could splurge on a jacket. Trisha felt the jeans and shirts in here were more her style, her fingers lazily flipping through the garments.

"Oh, that's cute," Moira nodded at the silkscreen t-shirt under Trisha's hand. She made a noncommittal sound in her throat then walked away to look at some jeans. Miora picked up the shirt and followed.

"Those are cute too," Moira told her as Trisha brushed her hands against a pair of dark blue jeans. Trisha moved on and Moira picked up the jeans too.

"That top might flatter your figure," Moira commented when Trisha stopped to stare at a dressy button up. Trisha nodded absently, walking to the area where the accessories were displayed. Moira picked up the top too before following. Trisha was staring at the handbags when Jonalis approached them. She took at look at Trisha before plucking an oversized clutch off the shelf. Reyn approached them with a belt. Trisha turned to see she was surrounded by women and merchandise.

"What?" she said defensively.

"Gimmie those bags," Allan commanded, reaching for the bags she was carrying for Jonalis.

"And try these on," Moira demanded, stuffing the clothes into her hands. Feeling an overwhelming desire to comply, she went into the fitting room, returning ten minutes later with a small smile on her face. The clothes had been more form fitting than she was used to but she had liked the way she looked, particularly in the low-rise jeans with the belt. They weren't tight, but they were fitted, accentuating that she had a shape underneath those loose clothes she favored. She'd allowed herself a few minutes to run her hands over the fabric as she tried each shirt on with the jeans. She liked the way they felt on her, the way she felt in them. It had been a wrench to put back on her clothes, return to the old her.

"Looks like you liked them," Jonalis smirked. The girl had been in the fitting room longer than they had expected. Trisha nodded.

"Well finally you found something," Allan mused.

"Guess so," Trisha said moving to the area with the jeans, fumbling to look at the size.

"What are you doing?" Reyn sounded incredulous.

"Getting two more pairs. I like 'em."

They laughed. Reyn smiled, "I'll help. For a moment I thought you were putting them back."

The others started bustling around the store, meeting Trisha at the counter with more stuff. Trisha left the store with three pairs of jeans, two belts, two pairs of flats, five shirts, the oversized clutch, and a charm bracelet with two charms. Jonalis promised that she could consider the jewelry a treat. Trisha surrendered the credit card. Mister's money had never bought her anything this pricey. Cory bought his jacket, throwing in another charm for Trisha's bracelet to commemorate her first shopping trip with them.

"Jonalis, you're the only one without a treat," Felix reminded her.

"We still need to stop in Guess before we leave," she reminded him. They stepped into the final store for this trip. Jonalis walked purposefully to the handbags, picking up a signature Tokodoki bag exclusive to the store. It was roughly the size of small carry-on luggage. She paid for it with her own money after giving Trisha a little smile. Treats, in theory, should be paid for out of each person's own pocket. Something nice that you do for yourself. Worn out they piled into the SUV again. The trunk packed with bags from their shopping trip. They stopped at the little diner again for dinner before heading the four and a half hours home. As the lights of Vegas shone in the distance, the conversation switched to evening plans. Trisha let her mind drift. She didn't expect to be included in their late night activities.

"Just call me," Jonalis told Cory as she exited the SUV. He nodded.

"Nice meeting you Trisha," he called out to her. Trisha nodded back.

"Same here. It was interesting," she grinned. Trisha and Jonalis removed their bags from the trunk then waved to the others as the car sped away. They walked in silence to the house, both pausing at the entrance to the Play Room.

"I'll be back to hang your new things in a second," Trisha stated. Jonalis shook her head.

"No need. I'll do it before I go out."

"Oh. Well I need your to-do list anyway," she continued. Today with Jonalis had been fun and she wasn't ready to leave the woman's presence quite so soon.

"Yeah, there is that," Jonalis said before entering her room. Trisha practically ran down the hall to stuff her bags in the closet. She'd get to them later. The desire to be in one of the girl's presence longer than necessary was addictive, new. The woman was tisking at her cell phone display by the time she returned.

"You need more time for your list?"

"I don't have one. But I do have an offer."

"Oh?" Trisha moved to the bed to start removing the purchases from their bags. Jonalis snatched the dress out of her hands then forced her to sit on the end of the bed.

"Cory got himself roped into spinning at a drag club tonight. I was thinking of going. We could visit a friend of mine there," Jonalis said, moving between the closet and bed to hang up her new clothes. Trisha sat back.

"You do remember I'm seventeen right?"

"Yep. If you're going you should piece together an outfit out of your new stuff." Jonalis didn't sound fazed, "Meet me here in twenty ok?"

Trisha popped off the bed. She couldn't believe her luck. She took the quickest shower ever, stuffed herself into the dark blue jeans, the button down top that hinted at her cleavage, her black belt and flats then grabbed the charm bracelet. She grabbed her wallet, keys, and cell phone then raced back to the Play Room. Jonalis was dressed, fiddling with her hair. Trisha tried unsuccessfully to stuff her phone in her back pocket but the pants were not loose enough for that.

"Where's your new bag?" Trisha looked up into Jonalis's laughing face. "Go get it."

After returning with her things stuffed in the oversized clutch, Jonalis produced her own. Trisha copied the woman, stuffing it under her arm and holding it close to her. They got into the Audi convertible Mister kept for his latest lady to drive, speeding into the night towards the strip. They parked in front of the club but walked around the corner to a side door to enter. The bouncer there smiled at Jonalis before letting them in. There was utter chaos in the back. The ladies were in various states of makeup and dress, none of them bothered by two little women clad in jeans and t-shirts. Their destination was a buxom brassy blond whose mirror was stuck in the middle of a long row of stations.

"Joni! As I live and breathe!" They air kissed. "And you brought a baby! How cute!" They laughed.

"Charlene, this is Trisha."

"Charmed I'm sure," Charlene said offering her cheek for a kiss. What the hell. Trisha brushed their cheeks together. "My, aren't you a fast learner."

"Trisha and I are going to find seats and catch your act."

Charlene turned, pointing a brush at the mirror, her voice turning sharp, "Alright bitch. But you better bring your ass back right after. I haven't finished with you."

Jonalis smiled indulgently, kissing her friends cheek again, "Break a leg Charlene."

"Always do," she trilled back, giving them a finger wave before they left. They walked down a narrow hallway, the exit of which was covered by another bouncer that smiled at Jonalis. Moving across the floor Trisha noticed the place was laid out like a lounge. Lots of table and chairs were staggered through the room, all oriented to the stage. The area in front of the stage was clear though, lending space for people to dance. They moved to the bar.

"Two long islands and a coke," Jonalis ordered. Trisha instinctively reached for her purse but Jonalis stilled her hand, reaching instead for her own twenty to pay. "I'd like to keep this off the books. You understand?"

Trisha nodded. Credit card statements held a wealth of information on where you'd been. The drinks came, both long islands pushed into her hands. They walked up the stairs to the DJ booth, passing a third bouncer who winked at Jonalis before letting them pass. Trisha was awed. Cory was spinning, using a crazy combination of laptop and electronics she'd never seen. His brown hair was shaved two steps above being bald. His deep brown eyes were focused on the computer screen, while he alternated between sticking his tongue between his lips, licking them, and biting one corner. He executed a transition, picked a new track then removed his headphones to give his thousand watt smile at them. He blew kisses at each of them before accepting the coke from Jonalis. She turned then to pluck one of the teas from Trisha.

"I thought…" Trisha stammered.

"Oh, Cory doesn't drink when he's working. Cheers," Jonalis told her, clinking their glasses together. The alcohol was strong, making Trisha cough after the first sip. The music eventually faded away and for a moment Trisha thought Cory had messed up. But his smooth voice floated over the microphone.

"Alright ladies and gents it's time for the show to get started. So let's clear the floor, grab a drink, and give it up for the talented performers." The crowd moved quickly to take their seats, the main event here clearly the performances. Jonalis and Trisha moved to the side of the DJ booth to brace themselves against the railing for the show. Music cued up, spotlights came on, and the spectacle began. Trisha loved every minute of it. There was a mistress of ceremonies and an opening act with the entire cast. The individual performances were all interactive. Plans filled Trisha's head. Next time she came here she would insist on sitting near the stage to experience the action. Charlene sang a sad song that broke up the monotony of quick songs. Trisha could have sat there all night watching but Jonalis tapped her shoulder. They waved to Cory who threw them kisses again before weaving back to the dressing area again. Charlene was already in the process of removing her dress, changing into attire suitable for lounging in the club.

"Oh good. You can follow directions," Charlene told Jonalis. Trisha moved her head slightly so she wouldn't stare at Charlene's body. The two other women laughed.

"Ooh Joni, looks like you've got a shy miss on your hands," Charlene teased.

"I think she's confused by the boobs C," Jonalis replied, tying up the top in the back for her friend.

Charlene turned to grab Trisha's hands and look into her eyes. "Not too worry baby. It's simple really. See, it's cheaper to get the hormones to get the breasts. It's more expensive to get the surgery to remove the excess bits down below. I'm still saving up for that." Trisha's eyes got wide. Jonalis laughed.

"Good luck with that," Trisha offered feebly.

"Oh, you are sweet," Charlene said, grabbing her chin between her fingers before tisking, "Child, where is your makeup?"

"I don't wear…"

"Your mama is not taking good care of you. No makeup," Charlene said pulling out a brush and some eye shadow. Jonalis laughed as Trisha submitted to the eye shadow, blush, and lipstick. Makeup job done, Jonalis launched herself at Charlene, the two committing to a very strong hug.

"I do love you," Jonalis said emphatically. Charlene patted her back.

"I love you too bitch," Charlene said without heat. They pulled away and Charlene waved her hand dismissively, "Go now. I'm not mussin' my makeup for you."

This time they went through the front of the club to exit. Trisha expected them to head home but instead the Audi cruised to a club on the outskirts of town. The trip in was quick, Jonalis's face recognized and the door opened before a protest could be raised by the line of people waiting. They wove their way to a corner to see Felix, Allan, Reyn, and Moira relaxing at a large booth.

"What are you having?" Felix called out over the beat to them.

"One long island and a Malibu Bay Breeze," Jonalis called to him. He slid out of the booth, making his way to the bar. Trisha and Jonalis slid in.

"You look good girl," Reyn complemented Trisha. She nodded in response, taking in the flashing lights, the girls dancing on the bars. The people all looked happy some looked extremely drunk in addition to being cheery. Guys were grinding on girls under the pretense of dancing. Bodies couldn't help moving to the strong beat flowing through the floor of the club. Felix returned with the drinks, pushing the pink looking one towards her. Trisha sipped then grinned. This was much better. Tasted like a mixture of juices. She drained the glass quickly.

"Slow down junior," Allan said with a frown, "Those are potent."

But as the night wound on, Trisha downed two more. It happened by accident, during pauses to catch her breath. There had been dancing. Tons of dancing once the two am club crowd started to arrive. Cory had shown up, spun her out onto the dance floor, worn her down. He'd bought her the drinks then spun her back on the floor. By five am though Trisha had begun to close her eyes. They were feeling so heavy. She sat in the booth, her head leaning on the leather back, her eyes fluttering even though she didn't want them to. She heard them discussing her, Jonalis give a short laugh, and someone help her out to the car.

Later that morning Trisha woke up violently. She barely made it to the bathroom to throw up. Feeling like she would like to crawl into a hole, she pulled herself up to wash out her mouth then sunk back onto the bathroom floor. Hours later her stomach felt uneasy but not so much that she couldn't get up and take a shower. She stood under the spray and vowed that she would never, ever, not ever drink in excess again.

* * *

Three weeks later Trisha was lying in bed with her mother watching TV. Normally Trisha looked forward to these rare moments with Ronnie but tonight she just wished she could have hung out with Jonalis. Graduation had commenced and Jonalis had allowed Trisha to accompany her on her nights out after work. The fun would begin for them after two am and it wasn't uncommon for them to waltz in even as late as ten am if Jonalis could push herself till then. But Mister was home and was taking Jonalis to a suite at one of the casinos to celebrate his return. And her mother had fallen into an 'hour of need' kind of moment.

"Mama why didn't you ever marry my daddy?" The question popped out as Ronnie had begun to wax poetic about the virtues of her previous husbands. Ronnie paused in the middle of her sentence, gave her daughter a shrewd look. She sighed. Somehow the conversation always came back to this.

"Sweets," she said, running her fingers through Trisha's hair, "Vince…Vince was…" she struggled for words. Trisha rolled her eyes, knowing what was coming.

"I know, I know. Vince was the poorest many you ever loved. I get that."

Ronnie frowned, tipping Trisha's face to hers. She took in the young girl's soulful blue eyes, her black hair, her scowling face, and saw parts of the man who's donated those features. Then she let go and dropped back to the pillows. Trisha lay back on her mother's stomach, waiting for the story to begin or the answer to come.

"I was young, stupid, and ready to start my life as an actress when I went to Los Angeles. I was on my last dollar when I met you daddy. He was virile. Mean. Damaged. He could be downright scary sometimes. But that day he paid for my breakfast at a little café when I tried to run out on the bill. He told me I was pretty. He'd seen me catch some lady's twin boys from runnin' in the street earlier. And he had a kid that needed a mom. But he didn't want to waste time looking for someone decent. He hoped I do.

"He laughed when I told him I wanted to act. He said if I could fool his family, I could do anything. So I went home with him. And I met his boy. Casche. I'll never forget the little heathen. The kid knew exactly how to ride my nerves. He peed on my shoes. He used my favorite lipstick on the walls. But I kept trying to be his mom. I'd started to fall for Vince even though he had no feelings for me. And the sex. Gawd! Vince knew how to work a woman so good that she'd think he loved her. And I pretended for a while that he did love me because I was trying to be an actress and I needed the practice.

"But getting an acting job is tough. And I was starting to feel homesick when your heathen half-brother chopped off a sizeable chunk of my hair. I'd had it. Vince tried to get me to stay but I was too fed up. I caught the first thing smoking back to Vegas. He didn't know I was pregnant, hell neither did I. I married the pit boss a month after I returned and I haven't left since. I've married some doozies in your lifetime but I'm thankful I never made the mistake of marrying your daddy. I don't know if he'd have let me go so easily if we'd taken vows. He probably would have driven his car here to get you if he'd known."

"Mama, he doesn't sound like the type to volunteer to take a kid home," Trisha said softly. She was trying to piece together the man her mother had left behind in California.

Ronnie lay musing, a wistful thought occurring to her, "You know, Vince really didn't have a problem with kids. He liked them even if he pretended he didn't in public."

"But if he couldn't love you, why do you think he'd love Casche or me?" Trisha asked sadly. Her mother didn't have to know that she thought of going to find the man who'd given her his DNA and last name. She felt bad thinking about seeking him out behind Ronnie's back. But she wanted to see him, to measure herself against him. She wanted to know what she had gotten from him, what traits she could blame on her mother. Would he want to know her like she wanted to know him?

"He couldn't love me or any other woman. I think he was always pinin' for someone else," Ronnie explained. There was a bitter edge to her voice. There was probably a lot that she was keeping inside about that part of her past. "But he loves Casche one hundred percent and sugar I know he'd love you too." Trisha vowed to herself as she fell asleep that she would never, ever, not ever have sex out of wedlock or keep a child from his father.

* * *

"I wanna get a tattoo," Trisha admitted to Jonalis three weeks later. They were sunning. Correction, Jonalis was sunning nude. Trisha was pretending to read aloud to Jonalis. Her mother had started to get vocal about Trisha's desire to spend all her free time with the stripper. Now under scrutiny, the pair made sure that a to-do list was produced everyday that included an excuse for them to hang out.

"That's what you would do if you could give yourself anything?"

"Yep. I think ink can be very cool, sexy even," she replied before flipping another page. Jonalis shuddered. Ink was an occupational pitfall in her line of work. Lots of the club owners didn't want girls with tattoos feeling it made their outfit choices limited or could easily repel clientele.

"What would you get?"

"Something fairly unique. Not anyone's name."

"You given any thought to when you'd get this fairly unique tattoo?"

"No. It's just an idle thought. Wait. Why?" Trisha was getting suspicious.

"No worries," Jonalis laughed. "Listen don't get too dressed up tonight. We're supposed to go support Felix in his endeavor to be inked."

"Really?"

"Yeah," she wrinkled her nose. "Maybe his experience will help you abstain. Kinda like sending teenagers to witness childbirth." They both laughed. Trisha's phone chirped.

"Time for work Trix," Jonalis said, swinging off the chaise. Smiling at her nickname, Trisha retreated to her room as Jonalis prepped then left. She thought about her father and half-brother more often these days. Reyn had hinted that they needed to do another shopping trip soon and now they were waiting for everyone to get a day off together. L.A. was a big place but maybe she could slip away and find them, at least get a chance to meet.

Feeling a small pang of guilt at what she was about to do, she slipped downstairs into Mister's office. He never minded when she used his office for homework or to search the net. Besides he wasn't home. But if Ronnie caught her looking again, she'd lose her mind. The computer was top of the line, speedy and quiet. Logging on to her desktop account, she pulled out her cell phone to access the notes she'd tucked safely within its memory. Perhaps she should try searching for Casche today.

A search for Vincent Simmons had been frustrating. The most promising information had been a Vince S. who worked at some repair shop, a newspaper article about a Vincent Simmons brought in for questioning over twenty years ago regarding armed robbery, an obituary for a Marlene Simmons who was survived by her son Vincent. But it had taken hours of sifting through tons of worthless information to get that much. Trisha wasn't even sure that any of these men could be her father although she hoped the possible convict wasn't.

Casche, her half-brother, might be easier to get a lock on since his name was so unusual. She typed his name in the search engine, initially groaning at the results. Unwilling to leave a stone unturned she began to shift through all the references to money. She let the cursor pause over a reference to someone's myspace page. Resigning herself, she clicked to read the information scrawled there and look at the pictures. _Blah, blah, blah, I love art. Blah, blah, blah, I miss college already. Blah, blah, blah, My hot cousin Casche._ The guy in the picture made Trisha's hair stand on end. He looked like a menace. His short black hair was spiky and unruly. He had muscles and a mean jaw. He wasn't smiling. His skin was a darker hue than hers, almost like he had a permanent gently toasty tan. But his piercing eyes were the same deep soulful blue as hers. His nose and mouth slightly sharper than hers but still very much the same. Electrified Trisha scrolled back to the top of the page desperate for a name. Give her a name…

The page was listed under Breebe O. in Los Angeles, CA. Trisha started searching the page in more detail, looking for clues. She was rewarded towards the end of the page as she perused the comments. _Casche is hot? I know you've fallen on hard times but you must be desperate if you're pimping him! Don't get roped in at the café. Come chill with me at DT's. C-Ya! N._ Feeling she was onto something, Trisha favorite saved the page then clicked on the commentator to visit their page. This person knew Casche too. Mighty O T was another girl listed in Los Angeles. Her page was slightly less girly than the previous one but it was clear the two girls were really close. Breebe and Mighty O T were featured in a lot of pictures together but there were two in particular that made Trisha's heart beat wildly in her ears.

The first was a picture of the girls sitting at a table outside of a café with a group of boys. It wasn't the subjects that had caught her attention but the name on the sign. Toretto's. The second was a picture of the girls leaning on the hood of a car, showcasing a very intricate design along its side. Although it was almost cut off, Trisha made out the name on the sign. DT Automotive. Palms itchy, Trisha favorite saved this page too then scrolled through the notes she'd put in her phone. Vince S. had been linked to the DT Automotive website. Feeling excited, Trisha did a search for the garage. Once on the site she began to click through every page looking for a picture. Instead all she found was the contact page which had listed the mechanics, a telephone number, and an address. She took the information down. Then feeling lucky she did another search for the café. No site popped up for it but the various map programs provided another telephone number and address.

The door to the office opened, Ronnie walking in. Trisha closed the page then locked her phone. She didn't want her mother to find her searching again. Ronnie had given her a dressing down when she caught Trisha the first time, begged her to quit looking, then not spoken to her for a week to drive the point home.

"What are you doing in here?" Ronnie accused.

"Searching for some ideas. I was thinking of getting a tattoo," Trisha lied.

Ronnie flipped out, "No Trisha! Absolutely not! You will not mar your body with those filthy tattoos! You'll never get anyone to look at you twice with those trashy things on you!"

"Okay! Okay. No tattoos. I hear you," she said in a placating tone. But Ronnie wasn't finished with her yet.

"You know, I don't think you'll listen to me but even that _stripper_ should be able to tell you how foolish…"

"Mama stop. Her name's Jonalis. And I do listen to you. I am right now." Ronnie crossed the room and slapped Trisha hard. She'd never hit the girl like this before.

"Don't you ever, ever mention their names again. You hear me! I won't stand for it! Not from you, not ever. I put up with a lot having those whores in my house. He doesn't throw their names in my face. I won't have you doing it," she screamed, finishing off her tirade with a shove to Trisha's chest. Since the girl was still sitting in the office chair, she didn't move but her chest hurt all the same. Ronnie stormed out of the office, slamming the door. And Trisha sat in the chair, knees to chest, until her phone chirped that it was time to go.

The lot to the parlor wasn't very full when Trisha pulled in at two-thirty. She was running late but hoped no one minded. It had taken extra time to fix her face. Ronnie's rings had left two small cuts on her cheek. Feeling it would be futile to cover them with makeup, Trisha made sure they were clean. She took care to brush antibacterial cream on them then rolled out. They would probably start closing by sunrise they were so shallow. The buzz of the tattoo equipment brought her to the present and set her teeth on edge. It was an involuntary response to the sound which reminded her of dental visits as a kid. Trisha recognized the backs of the people standing around, bracing themselves on stools seated along a wall, a section at the top of which had been cut open to act as an open window. She approached, standing between Cory and Jonalis, to see Felix lying on his back while an artist inked his side.

"Hiya Trix," Allan called out to her, his eyes still transfixed on Felix's face. Felix looked like it was unpleasant.

"Hey."

"It's not like you to be late," Moira commented.

"Maybe you're early," Trisha replied without heat.

"What's up your ass tonight?" Allan asked her.

"Probably nothing a little rebellion wouldn't cure," Jonalis shot back. Allan grinned.

"Junior wants a tattoo?" Felix asked during a pause in the artist's work.

"So what if I do?" Trisha sassed. Her mood was all out of whack.

"Get one right now! I'm sure someone here would do you," Felix said grinning before the buzzing on his abdomen started again. His face slowly returned to a grimace.

Trisha shrugged, "Sure. Why not?" She turned away to start looking at the flash they had on the walls.

"I thought you wanted something original Trix," Jonalis said casually, approaching the girl. Something was off tonight but she couldn't put her finger on what it was. Trisha shrugged again. Reyn came to stand beside them, looking at the flash too.

"You know, a piercing might be better. If you don't like it, you just pull it out and the hole closes," she suggested. Trisha turned to look at her a curious look on her face.

"Really?" she said tentatively.

"Yep. There is a line," Reyn told her, motioning to the four other people in the shop, a wicked smile on her face, "But I'm up next."

Reyn flashed her ticket in front of Trisha's face, taunting her with it. Feeling wild, Trisha took it, returning to watch Felix's progress before her number was called. No one followed this time. And when she returned, Jonalis smiled at her.

"What do you think?" Trisha asked defiantly.

"Very sexy," Cory told her immediately, flashing his trademark thousand watt smile at her.

"I'm impressed," Jonalis admitted. The stud winking at them from them an inch above the corner of Trisha's mouth reminded her of a well placed mole.

"Sure beats a hasty tattoo," Moira agreed. Trisha had to agree. Her mood lifted, Trisha continued to trade witty banter with Felix and the others till his tattoo was finished at five am. Then they went to breakfast to celebrate. And when Trisha climbed into bed at seven thirty she felt that her life was starting to separate from her mothers.

At the end of Jonalis's third month she announced that they would be going on another trip to Rodeo Drive. Trisha felt comfortable dressing for the trip this time. Her back was practically healed now. She put on her low rise jeans, Puma's, and a fitted top. She kept tugging the shirt down to keep her back covered. It only had to last until they made it out of the house, away from Ronnie. Cory was waiting for them at the end of the drive, same as before. But this time Trisha didn't hesitate. She ran to sit shotgun, Jonalis laughing when she got in behind her. Hello's were grumbled and one by one the rest of the occupants of the SUV fell asleep.

"Cory?" Trisha asked when she was sure the others were breathing deeply. It was only eight am. Still early. He turned down the music a little to hear her.

"Not tired Trix?" She should have been. They'd tossed back a couple before heading home earlier. She'd gotten into bed at three. Oddly, though, she was feeling keyed up today.

"Would you mind dropping me off somewhere?" She thought of the addresses hiding in her phone, the wad of money in her purse.

"Where do you want to go?"

"Just a little café. Nothing sinister."

"You want us to have breakfast there?"

"No!" Trisha said quickly. Cory's smile fell a little. "I just need to see it for myself."

"Why this particular place? Got a secret?"

"Not really."

Cory turned that over in his mind, "So why are you withholding?"

"I'm not," Trisha hedged, "It's just private."

Cory took a second to look at Trisha's face. She was scowling, the expression making him laugh. "When do you want to go?"

"You'll take me?" Cory nodded. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Cory laughed, "Easy Trix. You'll give me a complex."

"Can we drop them off and go right away? I promise it won't take long. You won't have to wait. And I'll meet you back in Rodeo Drive. I have enough money for a cab and everything," she rattled off.

"Uh Trix, I'm not going to leave you alone in Los Angeles."

Her face fell, and she grumbled, "I'm a big girl. I can handle myself in Vegas. I'll handle myself there."

Cory shook his head, "You're seventeen, a minor I've just transported over state lines. I have a responsibility to make sure you don't end up lost or sporting more ink."

Trisha couldn't help the laugh that escaped her. Cory smiled.

"You'll keep this to yourself?" she asked pointlessly.

"Goddesses honor," he said holding his hand up like he was being sworn in. Trisha felt her face heat up. Cory was the only one who knew about the goddess she'd had tattooed up her side. The goddess climbed up her back, her right leg bent to caress Trisha's right side, her head laying on Trisha's shoulder, her right hand leaning down to pluck Trisha's nipple with her nimble fingers. Cory had sat patiently through two sessions, watching the artist as he created first the outline, then shaded the goddess in. She'd asked him to come to keep the artist from fondling her breasts unnecessarily. She trusted him not to tell Jonalis or the others. Jonalis was already adamantly opposed to the other tattoos that shared Trisha's back.

Trisha finally let sleep overtake her, waking when they stopped at that same diner from before. This time she noticed the gazes lingered on her too as well as her companions. She ordered her big breakfast, giving Allan a high five when he gave her a 'that's my girl'. It felt great to be out of town, out of scrutiny. She let her shirt ride up, knowing that the colors visible on her lower back would catch attention. When they left, Cory gave her shirt a little tug to help it cover more of her skin. Jonalis gave her a playful shove when they got outside. A short ride later Cory pulled up to the street then called for the rest to get out.

"What about you two?" Allan called out suspiciously.

"Quick errand. See you in a few," Cory said dismissively. Trisha watched their stunned faces in the side mirror until they turned the corner. "Where to?" Trisha pulled out her phone to relay the directions to him.

"You know, I do have GPS," he told her pointing to the fancy display in his dash.

"But GPS keeps addresses. I don't want any nosy Nancy's getting any clues." They pulled up to the café a short while later and Trisha took a deep breath. Putting her sunglasses on, she looked at Cory and he shrugged. She knew he'd stay put. The climb out of the SUV felt it was extremely long but her feet hit solid ground rather quickly. She hitched up her pants, tugged her shirt down then walked to the counter. She noticed a young boy sitting at the counter slack jawed. He was absently tugging on the shirt of a large guy with an extreme wealth of muscles. The guy's face was young too but guarded when his eyes traveled up her body. A second guy with brown curly hair gave her an appreciative glance.

"Welcome to Toretto's. What can I get you?" The waitress behind the counter was chipper. She looked like she could be in college.

"Uh, what's good here?" Trisha asked stalling for time. She didn't know what she had expected to happen when she walked in here. She hadn't planned this far ahead.

"Everything's good," the young boy supplied readily, his mouth still agape. The girl was really pretty to him, not looking like any of the girls in his family with her straight black hair and strong nose. Her lips were full but small fitting her face and making her interesting to look at.

"Even the tuna?" Trisha asked the boy.

The man with the muscles frowned, "Shit no. No one likes the tuna here."

The brown haired guy laughed and Trisha found herself joining in. Trisha heard the rumble of cars and turned around to see several brightly colored cars come to a stop in front of the café. Her feeling of unease increased. She really wanted to get out of there but she also wanted to ask them if they knew her half-brother. Pushing herself onto a stool, she ordered a turkey sandwich and a coke. She hoped that Cory wouldn't get impatient waiting. The occupants of the cars started pouring in. The brown haired man's twin came in, ruffling the little boy's hair. A couple of older men joined them on their end of the counter. It looked like they all were related to one another in some way or another. Trisha tried her best not to stare as the sandwich and drink were pushed in front of her. Already full from breakfast she took a small bite then chased it with a large swig of soda. Might as well play the part.

"You from around here?" The first brown haired guy asked. Trisha shook her head. "You need help finding something? I give a great tour of L.A."

"Actually you wouldn't happen to know a good mechanic would you?" The men all laughed at her. Even the girl behind the counter laughed.

"We might," the guy responded in a tongue-in-cheek way, "You have a problem with that truck?"

Trisha shrugged, "I might." She was distracted by another car pulling up to the café. Her pressure shot up. Her position at the counter did not allow for her to covertly look over her shoulder at the new arrival. She didn't think she could handle one more person joining this group at the counter. She took another long pull of her soda.

"Jeez, it must be model day at the café," the brown haired guy's twin joked. Trisha heard the click of heels crossing the concrete and then a beautiful brunette came into view. He hadn't been kidding. The woman was beautiful.

"Cute," the woman said in response, her voice accented. Trisha couldn't place it. The woman turned then pushed her sunglasses up to give Trisha a very long and sexually charged look.

"Can I get you anything?" The waitress called out. The men stopped talking to watch the exchange.

A slow sexy smile worked over the woman's face, "No."

"How much do I owe you?" Trisha asked, pulling out her purse and fumbling for money. She threw a ten on the counter and jumped off the stool. These people were so strange.

"Still need a mechanic honey?" One of the older men, clearly the father of the muscled young man called out. She turned to say no but the SUV door opened and Cory jumped out.

"Trix, let's go," he called to her. He could tell from her body language that she was really uncomfortable. Trisha gave them a feeble smile, shook her head. She turned to look at Cory and walked purposefully to the passenger side. They slid in together and drove away. They didn't talk the entire way back to Rodeo Drive. He parked then whipped out his cell to call for the groups location then got out. Trisha followed him working to put the encounter behind her, to save analysis for a private moment later. There would be plenty of time to kick herself for not asking about her brother. The rest of the group didn't ask them where they went. It was easy to pretend that nothing strange had happened at all.

* * *

Jonalis' fall from favor the following month was very sporadic. She claimed it was her own fault really. Trisha had listened to Jonalis regale her with the story as they packed up the Play Room. Mister was home and had taken Jonalis to a show at one of the casinos for her birthday. She'd gone to the bathroom and returned to see his eyes taken by a cute little show girl. Jonalis had still spent the night with him at the casino. But she'd sneaked away and woken Trisha at four in the morning to help her pack. She didn't want or need Mister to tell her to go.

"Couldn't you try to change his mind Jonalis?" Trisha asked desperately as they frantically stuffed clothes into her suitcase.

"Trix, you have a lot to learn about men," Jonalis told her jokingly. Even though Trisha's heart was breaking, Jonalis could be so collected.

"Can I still come hang with you?"

"Will you have any time to?" Jonalis asked shrewdly. They knew it would be a matter of time before someone new moved in, took her place.

"I'll make time." Jonalis laughed at her sulky tone.

"I bet you will Trix." The room now devoid of the occupant, the two trudged down the stairs then out of the house. They rolled the suitcases down to the gate, carefully walking out. The sky was lightening. It would be sunrise soon. Cory got out of the SUV to help them put the bags in the trunk. He looked like he'd just woken from a fitful nap. He smiled at her sadly and the two of them got into his SUV. Trisha wanted to go with her. She couldn't get over the feeling of dread as she watched Mister's best mistress ride away.

* * *

Trisha looked down at the party from her perch in the DJ's booth. The club was packed tonight as one would suspect in Vegas. She watched the girls dancing on the bars and strategically placed stands throughout. She shook her head. It always amused her how many girls thought it was sexy or fun to dance up there for everyone to see. And when you didn't feel forced to get up there she was sure it felt that way. Trisha often looked at the carefree vacationers that would come to Vegas these days and wish she could feel that uninhibited. She hadn't felt that way since Jonalis had left.

Eyes focusing on the screen that had just flashed up on her cell phone, Trisha pushed her musings aside. Time to go to work. She waved to Cory and he flashed his thousand watt smile quickly, his head bobbing to the music. She wove through the crowd, no one taking notice of her in jeans and a black t-shirt. She crossed the casino at warp speed to make up time, arriving backstage in time for the final notes of the closing act. The applause started up, as it did every night. The wolf whistles continued until the curtain finally closed on the twenty-five women standing on the stage, their smiles rapidly falling from their faces as they began trooping off the stage.

Flora immediately started pulling her headdress off the moment her heels hit backstage. Trisha sighed. The girl was going to play the prima donna tonight. She thrust it out for Trisha to take then started on her earrings. Trisha hoped that she didn't drop the earrings again. It had taken twenty minutes to find the back of one last night. Luck on her side, she and Flora reached her dressing area without dropping anything. She was getting better at anticipating the showgirl's needs. Help remove jewelry, remove pins from hair. Brush hair. Unzip costume, provide change of clothes immediately. Provide shoes, offer purse. Spritz with perfume. Put up with criticism. Watch her walk away. Clean her station and return all costumes neatly for the show the following night. Tonight had been a good night.

As Trisha drove to her favorite club she had to hand it to Flora. The girl might last longer than the others. She wasn't a heavy drinker like two of the girls had been. She wasn't doing drugs. The worst girl had been heavy into sniffing powder. That one was happiest when she was high, getting really nasty very fast when she couldn't get her fix. Trisha had drawn the line at providing for the addicts habit. Mister had the girl thrown out while he was away after she crashed one of his cars. Flora wasn't trying to date multiple guys. One girl had been stupid enough to bring a random guy home. Ronnie had gotten permission to ask her to leave right away. Flora wasn't even a big party animal like Jonalis. She went out for her obligatory face showing at the casino club but she was usually in, out, and home in an hour. In short, she was more like Ronnie than Trisha had expected.

Knowing that Flora wouldn't need her anymore tonight, Trisha pulled into the parking lot and grabbed her handbag. She nodded to the bouncers and they let her in. It took her a few minutes to change her top in the bathroom from the t-shirt to a halter that showed off part of her back. She took care to pull her hair into a sleek ponytail, brush lip gloss and eye shadow on her face, and secure the little earring that twinkled like an abnormal mole. Feeling better she made her way over to the booth in the corner to wait on the rest of the group. Moira showed up first, a waitress trailing her with a tray of drinks. They were smiling, well into their second martinis when Reyn and Allan found them. They all took shots together, then waited for Felix before they asked for the waitress to replenish drinks. Cory showed up next and they all had another shot.

Trisha was feeling slightly above inebriated now. She so rarely got to hang with them anymore. Cory took her onto the dance floor and they started swaying to the beat. The action wasn't abnormal but his behavior was. Tonight he was touching her all over. He was whispering little comments in her ears, letting his breath tickle her. He was resting his hands on her hips, letting them slide teasingly across her back. Tonight he stared into her eyes, his thousand watt smile shining through them with a hint of something else. When they returned to the booth twenty minutes later, Jonalis was there.

"Joni," Trisha slurred, hugging her tightly.

"Happy Birthday Trix," Jonalis said with a laugh. Trisha felt whole for the first time in two months. Everyone was together again. She hugged Jonalis again.

"Um, you're cut off as of right now," Jonalis joked. Everyone laughed. The waitress came back and they all ordered long islands. Drinks downed Cory pulled Trisha back on the floor. This time the rest filed out to dance too.

"Finally you're eighteen," Cory whispered in her ear. Trisha felt the beginnings of darkness enveloping her. She was definitely not having anything more than water for the rest of the night. They danced closer than ever, and after what felt like an eternity Allan came to tap Cory on the shoulder. Trisha noticed Moira waving her purse. They were leaving! It was so early. Cory noticed Trisha's pout and laughed again. He held her as they walked out of the club.

"Why are we leavin' so soon?" Trisha slurred.

"Don't get bent out of shape junior. We're changing venue," Felix told her. Cory poured her into the passenger seat of her car then got in to drive them to the new location. Allan drove the others to one of the casinos. But Trisha and Cory made a detour. They showed up an hour later at the suite near the top, a bottle of Champagne clutched in her hand. They were both laughing. There was a private party going on in this room with about seventy people milling around. Trisha wanted to keep partying with everyone else but they had a hard time finding them. And Trisha was starting to feel tired, her eyelids heavy.

"Not yet Trix," Cory whispered in her ear. She shivered. He pulled the elastic holding her ponytail out of her hair, running his hands through the silky strands. Slowly his lips met hers. Trisha's first kiss was slow, careful, filled with things that Cory had been whispering to her all night. The first melted into a second, then a third. Trisha was ready to sink into the fourth when she heard Cory mutter an oath. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into one of the vacant rooms, locking the door and the rest of the world out.

"Oh Jesus help me," Trisha moaned the following morning as the pounding on the door increased. Her head was pulsing as badly as the pounding was.

"Open this fucking door Cory!" Felix's familiar voice called out. The pounding started up more insistently and Cory's arm slid off Trisha's naked back. He stumbled around, pulling on his boxers and jeans before unlocking the door.

"You just couldn't help yourself," Jonalis called out icily to him. He rubbed his hand against the back of his head.

"Jonalis calm down. It's not like that."

"Then how is it huh?" Jonalis countered, her voice still icy.

"Please stop yelling. I feel really sick," Trisha begged. There was a beat of silence before clothes started pelting her body.

"Put on your shit. We're leaving," Jonalis spat out. The room cleared and the door slammed. Trisha slowly pulled herself together. She could hear them out there yelling at one another. Damn it. She opened the door to join the group assembled in the main part of the suite.

"I didn't force anyone to do anything they didn't want to last night Joni," Cory explained hotly.

"Yes, because the word of a drunk barely eighteen-year old kid could really be trusted," Jonalis mocked.

"Cory, that was a pretty impulsive thing to do," Moira said trying to diffuse the tension.

"No it was a stupid thing to do," Reyn called out.

"Don't see why everyone's so bent out of shape. Just get it annulled," Allan shrugged. All faces turned to his. He shrugged. "People get it done all the time."

"Yeah, that will go over real well. I guess I should cite my reason as being I just wanted to get laid," Cory said sarcastically.

"I'm sure there are worse reasons," Trisha said in agitation. She was in the throes of a major hangover.

Moira cleared her throat, "Oh good, you're up. Clear something up for us please. Do you remember getting married last night?"

Trisha looked into Cory's eyes and nodded. She didn't. Not really. She remembered feeling turned on at the club. She remembered him asking if they could have sex. She remembered telling him about her vow. He'd laughed. They'd had more to drink. He'd put her in the car. She dimly recalled the Champagne. She vaguely remembered signing paper. She didn't remember much else, not even where they were or why she had been naked alone with him this morning. He looked grateful, she felt sick.

"Here's a better question. Do you even know your new last name?" Felix said meanly. Trisha felt terrible. She grabbed her bag from Jonalis and muttered a lame goodbye. The door to the hotel suite closed behind her. She felt the tears forming in the back of her eyes as she rushed to the elevator. She didn't want to do this here. The doors to the elevator had shut when the call button opened the door again. Jonalis stalked in, jingling Trisha's keys. They didn't speak as they rode down to the main floor or while they waited for the valet to bring Trisha's car. They didn't utter one word until Jonalis pulled up outside of the gate of Mister's house.

"You know why I call you Trix?" she said idly. Trisha didn't say anything so she pressed on, "You're always performing tricks for people. Running behind your stepdad's mistresses, performing your duties to please your mother, running to get married for a quick screw. You're no different than me or any of those girls out there," she explained.

"I didn't realize you'd be so bent out of shape over this Jonalis," Trisha said shamefacedly.

"Honestly, I'm surprised by you. Haven't you learned anything from Veronica? From me? Can't you tell that Cory's no good for you?" Trisha couldn't look Jonalis in the eyes.

"Why not?" It was a feeble attempt to salvage the deteriorating situation.

"Cory is a twenty-eight year old lecherous Vegas DJ who's had his eye on you since your first trip to Rodeo Drive. He's had his hand in every cookie jar while he waited for your little cookies to bake. He's no different than your stepdad."

"I'm nothing like Ronnie," Trisha said angrily.

"You wish. You know where your _husband _is right now? He's on his way home to his long-term girlfriend and two kids." Trisha's face fell at the information. Jonalis gave a bitter laugh, "She'll be pissed that he wasted his first marriage on you."

Trisha stumbled out of the car and Jonalis followed, catching her before she could press the code to throw open the gate. Jonalis pressed the car keys into her numb hands. The dam broke and Trisha cried. She wanted to get in bed, to pull the covers over her face. She wanted to throw up. She scrambled for the gate and let herself in holding out her hand for her friend. Jonalis shook her head.

"Come with me," Trisha requested.

"I can't. That place is off limits to me," Jonalis laughed with remorse.

"You're my friend. You can come with me. Please I need you," she begged. A car stopped and honked its horn. The two women turned to see Reyn waving at them. Jonalis hugged Trisha hard.

"I do love you," Jonalis whispered to her. Trisha's tears started all over again as she watched her best friend, her mentor, ride away.

Chest aching Trisha climbed the stairs. She just wanted to sleep. To start the day over. But that wasn't meant to be. She entered her room to find Ronnie sitting on the bed, pajamas still on, talking rapidly into the phone. Her mother paused when she saw her, ending the call quickly.

"Gawd Trisha, where have you been!"

"Out." Her voice was wooden.

"Out where? _That_ one has been home for hours."

Trisha snapped, "Fiona! Her name is Fiona. And damn it if you don't like it why do you stay? None of the others flaunted their mistresses in your face! Why do you put up with it? Why mama?" Ronnie crossed the room to shake Trisha but the sudden movement made her head spin. Trisha ran for the bathroom, throwing up.

"Damn it Trisha. I've had it. You've never been right since that stripper left," Ronnie said between Trisha's bouts of illness. "You're so willful now. And I…" Ronnie paused. Trisha had gotten up to rinse her mouth and some of her tattoos peeked out from under the hem of her t-shirt.

"Mama please," Trisha cried. She couldn't make the tears stop coming. She felt so sick and hung over. Her heart ached. She couldn't explain to her mother what she needed. She never had a need to explain things to Ronnie before. She'd never needed someone in her corner this way, for comfort, for solace.

"Clean yourself up Trisha. We'll discuss this after I talk to him. I'm going to hire someone to do the job instead. I never expected them to rub off on you. I thought I raised you better," Ronnie said coolly, striding from the room. Eager to wash the night off, Trisha showered. She stood under the spray until her skin wrinkled her thoughts all converging into one command. Get out. She couldn't stay in this house, with Ronnie, in Vegas anymore. It was no longer fit for her.

Her decision made she threw on jeans and a shirt that was long enough to cover her tattoos completely. She pulled back her hair then set to work on packing. She took all her new clothes, clothes from the era of Jonalis. She gathered the bags, shoes, and accessories. It wasn't much. She rummaged through the bottom of her closet to dislodge a belt when she caught sight of a familiar Tokodoki bag. Jonalis must have left it for her knowing that eventually she'd stumble upon it. The bag was big enough to hold what she had so she filled it, making sure to run through the bathroom for her incidentals. She wasn't coming back. Feeling reckless Trisha wrote down the numbers and addresses in LA for the café and garage. She hoped this would be enough of a lead to find her father and brother. She called a cab then she went into the memory to clear the phone. She didn't want any traces of her whereabouts lying around.

Trisha took a look at the bedroom one last time then paused to look at the charm bracelet on her wrist. There was a new charm attached. It was a small carriage that reminded her of a fancy horse drawn coach. It was whimsical, just like her life had been these last few months. She considered leaving the bracelet here but thought against it. Worst case scenario, she could sell the expensive bracelet and charms when she ran out of money. She left the keys to the house and trudged down the stairs. She didn't look back at the house on her trip down the drive. She didn't look back at Vegas either when she boarded the bus to L.A. two hours later.

It was dark and rainy when Trisha disembarked in Los Angeles. Like her trip to the café three months ago she was confronted with the result of her decisions and didn't know what to do next. She caught a cab to the garage even though she knew it was too late for anyone to be there. Keeping her eyes open for any businesses in the area that might be open she was disappointed to find that the street the garage was on was as empty as her destination. She still paid the cabbie and exited. The rain pelted her body as he drove away, leaving her alone. Feeling it would be stupid to stand so exposed on the street she decided to walk up the drive to hide from the street. Maybe there would a place she could stay dry. In the end she sat on the ground near one of the bay doors, the slight overhang there keeping less water off her than being completely exposed had been. She drew her legs up to her knees, propping the bag in the space between her legs and chest. Resting her head on the bag, sleep finally overtook her.

Trisha woke shivering. The morning was cool and her clothes were soaked through. She didn't have a watch or a phone to tell her what time it was but she felt confident that it was just after dawn. Opening her bag she pulled off her wet clothes, standing exposed to the air. She pulled out the driest of her clothes and put them on. She didn't feel clean but she felt slightly less chilly. Balling up the wet clothes and shoes she stuffed them inside an empty handbag to keep them from completely soaking everything else. Then she brushed her hair, threw it back in a ponytail and set off down the street. She was starving. She hoped that she could find some sort of store that would open soon and was rewarded for her thirty minute trek by the sight of the Toretto café. A skinny lady with long dark hair was standing behind the counter wiping it down when Trisha made it down the curvy little hill.

"Hey, you open?" Trisha asked her voice hoarse. The woman looked startled by her appearance. Trisha looked haggard, like she'd slept outside.

"Sure. What can I get you?"

"Toast," Trisha wanted something warm. The woman looked at her in a pitying way.

"Toast," the woman repeated.

"And coffee. Just toast and coffee."

Trisha let her head droop and eyes close as the woman moved away to fix her order. She passed out for a few moments, waking to find a different woman behind the counter, placing toast, eggs, and bacon in front of her.

"I just ordered toast," Trisha said, her mouth watering. It wouldn't be good for her to spend the meager money she had left on her on lavish meals.

"The owner told me to make sure you ate this. It's on the house," the girl told her.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, seriously. Mrs. O'Connor is like that." Gratefully Trisha polished off her meal, the food welcome to her stomach after a day without it. Her belly full she felt a twinge of guilt at leaving without paying. It reminded her of Ronnie and she didn't want her life in L.A. to start like her mother's story. Trisha left the girl a five dollar tip then slipped off the stool, walking quickly. By the time the girl called out she was across the street, hurrying to scramble back up the hill to the garage. Thunder had started to rumble in the sky. Trisha ended up walking the thirty minutes back in a downpour. Her teeth were chattering again by the time she rounded the corner to the shop. She heard the crackle of a radio station belting out rock music before she picked out the clank of tools, the sporadic spurts of loud laughter. Suddenly feeling nervous at what she was about to do, Trisha hung back. What if this proved to be a dead end? What if they'd moved on? What if she'd been totally wrong? What would she do if they didn't want her around? The enormity of her situation was bearing down on her, temporarily removing the thought of the rain pelting her body. A car pulled into the driveway, temporarily flashing its light over her frame huddled around the corner of the garage. Feeling it would be silly to walk away now that someone had seen her, she took the final steps into the garage.

Trisha felt she had been sucker punched when she spied the muscled guy from her café visit months previous. He was talking to the person who'd just pulled up. Trisha could tell because the second man's suit jacket was wet. Starting to feel anxious, remembering that old visit and how strange those people had acted. She considered leaving but an older Latina woman took notice of her.

"Can I help you with somethin'?" the woman asked, her voice no-nonsense. It was now or never time.

"I'm looking for Vincent Simmons. Is he here?" The woman gave her a sharp assessing look.

"What do you need him for?"

"It's private," Trisha told her quickly.

The older bald, muscled man looked up from the vehicle he was servicing and looked at her, "Kinda young for him don't ya think?"

"Look is he here?" Trisha was really starting to feel uncomfortable. More people were starting to look at her.

"I dunno," the man told her before yelling, "Vince?"

"Yeah Dominic?" came the gruff reply.

"You've got a visitor. And hurry, she's melting," he called back with a half smile on his face.

"Jeez, what now?" Vince called back sounding irritated. He grabbed a rag to hastily wipe his hands while he tromped to the door. Trisha was immediately sure that this man was Casche's father. He had the same piercing blue eyes, the same scowl, the same jaw. He looked a menace, even in his forties.

"Vincent Simmons?" Trisha asked to be sure.

"Yeah."

"You're Casche Simmons' father?" she continued.

"Casche owe you money or knock you up 'cause I'm not getting in the middle of…"

Trisha shook her head. She didn't know what to say. She'd found him but she didn't know where to go from here. Another man, this one shorter with brown hair and a toothpick hanging from his mouth, approached the gathering. This guy looked to be in his forties to but his eyes were friendlier, crinkled in the corners from smiling so much. He gave her a careful look.

"Your eyes are really pretty baby girl," he told her.

"You're hitting on Casche's women now?" the older muscled man, Dominic, commented in his deep baritone.

"Naw dawg, she's not runnin' with Casche, at least not yet," he said with a smirk. It clicked for Trisha. He knew, could see it in her eyes. The Latina woman gave her another sharp look in the face coming to stand in front of Trisha. She took Trisha's face in her hands then started laughing really hard.

"Man Vince, you really spread yourself around," the woman teased dryly. The others laughed too, catching on. Trisha pulled her face away and started backing for the door. She wanted to leave. Vince stared at her slack jawed and tense.

"I didn't know you had a daughter Uncle V," a familiar looking blonde joined in. Breebe O. The girl from the webpage was his niece?

"Who's your mother?" Vince scowled at her. The girl looked really young. If he looked past her haggard appearance he could see how she resembled him. Nose, eyes, hair color.

"Ronnie. Veronica. From…"

"Yeah I know where she's from," he cut across her angrily. That had been a strange set of months living with the showgirl. "What do you want?"

Trisha didn't know. She turned striding back into the rain. She couldn't handle much more heartache. He sounded angry and put out. He didn't sound like the type that would be willing to let her stay with him. Sadness washed over her. She reached the sidewalk and turned to walk the opposite way from the café and garage. She had no idea where she should go. She had no idea how to salvage this mess. Fairly new modeled blue Maxima pulled up beside her the window winding down.

"Get in the car," Vince growled at her. Trisha gave him a nervous look.

"What?"

"I said get in the car. Don't make me tell you again."

Trisha's internal debate ceased at his no-nonsense tone. It didn't matter what happened now so she crossed the nose of the car and entered the car. Dripping she fastened the seat belt. Vince stared at the young girl soaking his interior. She looked pretty bad. He started to head for his condo.

"You hungry?" he asked her, trying for a less harsh tone. Trisha shook her head. "Ronnie gonna come lookin' for you?" She shook her head again, this time meeting his eyes. "When'd you get here?"

"Last night. I took the bus," she explained.

"How old are you, seventeen?" he asked suspiciously.

"Eighteen. I turned eighteen two days ago."

"What's your name?"

"Trisha. But don't call me that," she told him hastily, thinking of her name demotion, "I prefer Trix."

"Jeez us, you a dancer too?" he asked her in exasperation.

"No Daddy, I'm not a stripper or a showgirl," she mocked scowling.

"Or an actress?" he added shrewdly but there was a light smile on his face. The girl had a little of his attitude.

She shook her head, "Nope, not an actress."

"Where did you sleep last night Trix?" She looked away, refusing to answer. "Look you can stay at my place tonight but tomorrow I'm putting you right back on the bus to Vegas where you belong."

"Oh. Then let me out."

Vince whipped his head around to stare at her, "What?"

"I said let me out right here," she said more forcefully. She'd be damned if anyone made her go back.

"Ya ain't gonna sleep on the streets of L.A. little miss."

"And I _ain't_ going back to Vegas," she stated firmly. Vince pulled into the lot and cut the engine. His mind was racing with uneasy thoughts.

"You in some kinda trouble?"

"Not in the traditional sense, no," she hedged. Her issues were more emotional problems, not true troubles. Well maybe the marriage thing was a bit more than an emotional issue. He pondered her answer for a few moments before grabbing her bag and getting out of the car. She followed him quickly into a small courtyard then into his condo. The outside looked like a fussy older woman should have lived there but inside the one story unit looked very masculine, modern, and updated. She wouldn't have taken her father for an interior designer. He gave her a quick tour, ordering her to take a shower before she sat on anything. He dropped her bag in the smaller of the two bedrooms. Grateful she moved her bag into the bathroom attached to the bedroom she said she could use. She noted that the place was much smaller than the mansion she'd lived in before but it felt less hostile than the mansion too.

All of her clothes were soaked completely through. Her shower completed she moved to back to the room to find a black t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants lying on the bed. They were much larger than she was considering they belonged to her father. Feeling pleased by the gesture she walked down the short hallway into the living room where a large flat screen TV was flashing though channels aimlessly.

"Daddy?" she asked tentatively. He turned to look at her. Vince wasn't a man to trust easily. But something about her told him that he had little to worry about. She belonged to him, he couldn't deny it after looking into her clean face now.

"It's Vince."

"Vince." She tested the name out. It suited him. "Vince, does Casche live with you?"

"No. I have a funny feeling you live here now," he gave her a fierce scowl. "I'm not sayin' it's permanent. You fuck up and you're out." She nodded and he stood. "I gotta get back to work. You can dry your clothes or whatever," he said pointing to the kitchen where she knew the laundry closet lay beyond. He walked to the door.

"Hey Vince?" he paused so she continued. "Do you even like kids?"

"Hell no," he lied. They both grinned. He closed the door and she stood there for a long time, hugging herself. She didn't know how things were going to work out but for the moment it looked like she had a place to stay.


	10. Fringe pt 1

**Disclaimer: **Don't own. Don't sue. Thanks!

**Fringe (pt 1)**

Jessie always found himself on the fringe of his family. It made sense considering he was the youngest. Not to be misunderstood, he enjoyed being on the fringe. He got to hear and see more of the other's lives play out.

He was thirteen when he first thought girls were worth looking at. Up until then he never understood why Casche, Ryan, Tony, and Junior even bothered to talk to girls that weren't in his family. But he got a taste of what the fuss was all about one random day in March.

Jessie was starving by the time he, Junior, Ryan got to the café for lunch. They ordered sandwiches and just started to tear in when a SUV with Nevada plates pulled up. Jessie expected that they'd have two more random people in the café but was surprised when the passenger door opened and one of the sexiest girls he'd ever seen slipped out. His mouth gaped open as she tugged on the top of her jeans though it barely reached the hem of her shirt. She started to walk towards the counter and he stupidly began to tug on Junior's shirt. Jessie couldn't speak but he wanted to get Junior's attention. Her inky black hair, sharp nose, and small but full lips were both faintly familiar and extremely different from his female cousins. He heard Junior huff quietly in appreciation and Ryan straightened up to look more attentive.

Tori, the waitress, welcomed the newcomer and an unprepared look crossed her face. Her voice was husky, "Uh, what's good here?"

The question was clearly posed for the waitress but before Tori could open her mouth, Jessie stupidly answered "Everything's good." He could have slapped myself. Way to play it cool.

"Even the tuna?" she followed up, eyeing him through her sunglasses which covered her eye color.

Junior's low grumbling voice immediately broke Jessie's embarrassment, "Shit no. No one like the tuna here." Ryan laughed and Jessie felt himself smiling on the inside. It was good that she wouldn't get tricked into eating Aunt Mia's tuna, though it was usually his way of hazing newcomers. The girl laughed too and he felt my insides tighten up, the feeling new but not unwelcome. Jessie watched her turn as the familiar sound of tuned engines filled the air. He suddenly felt that even though he enjoyed these 'man lunches' at the café that today would have been happier if the setting had remained more intimate. The girl was clearly uneasy but he was glad she placed herself on a stool and ordered.

Uncle Dom, Uncle Brian, his dad Leon, and Tony waltzed in. Tony ruffled his hair which normally didn't bother him but today it made him uncomfortable. He couldn't stop staring at the girl who was letting her eyes flutter over the group. At once he wished painfully that he was a few years older; old enough to be considered by her if that's what she was looking for. He heard Tony ask who the newcomer was and the lack of an answer had him nudging Junior who smiled and tapped Ryan.

"You from around here?" Ryan asked her. Shit, they were going to tag team her, "You need help finding something? I give a great tour of L.A." Correction, Ryan was going to try and undercut Tony and Junior to get to her first.

She swallowed her soda then looked at him, "Actually you wouldn't happen to know a good mechanic would you?" Jessie couldn't help it, and neither could the rest of the guys. They had to laugh at the irony since every guy at the counter had put in wrench time at his Uncle Dom's garage.

Ryan grinned, "We might. You have a problem with that truck?" He motioned to the SUV with the guy still sitting in the driver's seat.

The girl shrugged, "I might," she told them noncommittally. Jessie thought she was getting nervous with all the attention and then he heard the rumble of another tuned engine. Within seconds his cousin Gigi was traipsing into the café, supermodel worthy looks encased in clothes and expensive heels that were flawlessly put together. While her looks did a lot for other guys, they never really appealed to Jessie. And he never looked at her and felt what was being stirred up inside by the raven haired girl.

Tony teased, "Jeez, it must be model day at the café." The girl turned to look at the new arrival and for a wild moment he prayed that she wasn't into girls too.

Gigi must have caught on that they were trying to pick up the girl because she responded, "Cute," before pushed her sunglasses artfully onto her hair and letting her eyes rove over the raven haired girl. Tori asked if she could help Gigi but Jessie thought she was as interested in what would happen next too. Apparently the girl was uncomfortable with all of the scrutiny because she started reaching in her pockets for money and mumbling about the tab.

Uncle Dom sensed that maybe they'd taken things to far because he called out, "You still need a mechanic honey?"

Before the girl could open her mouth to respond a short haired man hopped out of the SUV, "Trix, let's go." Jessie thought that he must have heard it wrong because it sounded like the guy had called her the name of a kid's cereal. She gave a small smile then walked away, her shirt riding up a bit to show a flash of color on her back. And that was when he realized that he had his first crush on a stranger.


	11. Collegiate Fling pt 1

**Disclaimer: **Don't own. Don't sue. Thanks!

**Collegiate Fling (pt 1)**

Jack was a hottie. Bria could openly admit that to any woman in a hundred mile radius. She stared at his bald head, perfectly shaped and smooth, the cut strong enough for the strong man he was. He wasn't stocky like her Uncle Dom, but he still had respectable muscles. Yummy muscles. Muscles that were barely masked by his t-shirt or his crisp jeans always belted at the waist. Bria appreciated his style, she appreciated his looks, and his woodsy cologne. Damn that cologne got her drooling every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. She sighed, tapping her pen against the side of her face in thought. If only this history lecture could be as good as Jack looked. It was like being stuck in purgatory: fifty minutes of watching Jack were awesome but it came with fifty minutes of dry droning about things in the past.

Bria was so into inventorying the guy in front of her that she didn't realize that class was over until the person next to her stood up. Grabbing her unused notebook she stood up then bent to pick up her bag. In her haste to move out of the row one of the straps snagged the chair and out spilled her art supplies. Her face fell. Of all the shit to happen in front of a cute guy… Rolling her eyes she exited the row so her classmates could stalk by then bent to retrieve her brushes. Someone tapped her shoulders with her notebook and she looked up to see Jack leaning over his seat in his now vacant row. Bria's breath hitched. Yeah, he was a definite hottie. His chocolate eyes made her want to melt and the smile he tossed her with all of his even white teeth made her want to jump him. When the dimple formed in his right cheek she lost it. Standing quickly she snatched the notebook and blinked at him, surprised that he seemed entertained by her reaction.

"Uh, thanks Jack," Bria stammered tossing the notebook in her bag then carefully moving out of the row. He motioned for her to move up the stairs in front of him so they could exit the lecture hall. The moment they got outside she turned to face him again. "Thanks for helping me," she said again.

"No problem blondie," he said to her smoothly. She tilted her head to the side, throwing him a warm smile.

"Bria," she told him holding out a hand which he shook.

"Bria," he repeated, "Looks like you're an artist Bria."

"Yeah." She was staring at him again in deep interest. He laughed at her response.

"How are you doing in this class?"

Bria's smile got wider. Jack was engaging her in conversation, wow, "History's not really my thing. You know, artist." She waved a hand at herself and he laughed tucking his hand in his pockets.

"Right. So besides being a beautiful artist with a history deficiency, you like to dance?"

"Every chance I get."

He stepped closer to her, "How about Saturday night with me at Bling?"

Bria pulled out her notebook and found a shading pencil, scribbling her cell number on a piece of paper hastily and handing it to him.

"What, no picture?" he teased. They laughed and she waved goodbye, knowing that now was the time for her to make a retreat, keep him wanting more.

Bria smoothed her hand over her shirt for the umpteenth time, pretending to brush away imaginary wrinkles and lint. It was just one date, with one guy. Correction, it was the first date with a hot guy. Clarification, it was the first date with the guy she'd fantasized about for at least two weeks.

* * *

"Nikki!" Bria called out, hugging her best friend and cousin long and tight.

"Damn Bree, I just saw you six weeks ago," Nikki teased. After some world class begging and conniving, Nikki had been allowed to drive up to visit Bria at Stamford for the week.

"Well I only have Thursday and Friday off from classes but I think we can still do tons," Bria rattled off, not fazed by her cousin's words. They walked across the picturesque campus taking in the falling leaves and the students sober enough to be up at before two pm on a Saturday.

"I'm not going to disrupt your studies," Nikki wiggled her eyebrows comically. Bria pushed her playfully. "Besides its Saturday. So what are we doing tonight?"

Bria laughed, "Well there is this basket weaving class…"

Nikki stopped walking, "Try again."

Bria turned to grab Nikki's hand, pulling her along, "I'm kidding. _We_," Bria pointed a finger between each of them, "were invited to a party."

Nikki shook her head, "For a moment there I thought you'd really lost your mind."

Later that night the girls walked downstairs to meet up with a group of people going to the party. Nikki's eyes widen appreciatively at the six guys in the group. Maybe she would consider college…

"Hi Bria," Jack greeted sweeping her into a hug. When they pulled back she noticed Nikki's wicked smile.

"Uh everyone this is my cousin Nikki," Bria said in lieu of a more personal introduction. The others waved and they started walking towards the party. Jack kept pace with the cousins.

"Hi Nikki. I'm Jack," he introduced. Bria gave her cousin a look, noticing a sparkle in Nikki's eyes as they passed under a street light.

"Nice to meet ya," Nikki told him, before wiping the smile off her face, "So Jack, you a sophomore too?"

"Yes. I'm a history major."

Nikki nodded, her mouth working as she tried to find a way not to completely crack up. Bria grabbed her arm to pull her close but kept her voice at conversation level, "Jack is in the military."

"Really?" Nikki drawled.

Jack felt odd, like he was missing out on more of the conversation, "Yes."

"Have you seen any of Bria's art?" Nikki asked, the question throwing him.

"Yes. She's pretty talented with a brush."

"I'll bet," Nikki responded under her breath. Bria nudged her in the side. They made it to the house where music was thumping throughout the rooms of the main level. It was apparent within moments that Jack and his friends knew the people throwing the party. They were greeted cheerily by a lot of people, drinks were thrust into their hands, and Bria noticed that her dark haired cousin drew a lot of appreciative looks from the guys there.

Nikki sniffed at her drink in distaste, "What is this?"

Bria pulled the cup from the younger girl's hands, thrusting both their cups onto a table, "You don't want to drink that. _Trust_ me." Nikki's artfully raised one eyebrow and Bria shook her head with a laugh, "Come on, let's go dance."

They walked into a large open room where tons of people in various stages of soberness were dancing. And for a while they danced with each other, sometimes being asked to dance by guys who were rejected politely. Bria noticed that Jack kept an eye out for them and she felt herself wishing he would come and dance with her. Finally fed up, she pulled Nikki along and they approached Jack.

"Come dance," Bria told him, leaning into his shoulder while he tipped his head down fractionally so he could hear her. He shook his head.

"Have fun with your cousin," he said carefully. Bria pulled back to look in his face. Jack loved to dance, his first date with her proving that fact. Nikki tapped her shoulder.

"I need to pee," Nikki told her. Bria made to move through the crowd with Nikki but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. "Don't. I can handle myself."

"Nikki," Bria's voice held a warning. This wasn't home where guys knew to keep their hands off the O'Connor and Toretto girls.

Nikki laughed, "I'm prepared to hand out nuts in sacks." Bria grinned, rolling her eyes and motioning that she would give Nikki five minutes to get back. She and Jack watched the younger girl weave through the crowd before his arms wound around her waist. Bria leaned back, resting her head on his chest as he kissed her cheek.

"Did you tell her about me?" Jack asked, his question falsely casusal.

"Uh…" Bria stalled. She hadn't told anyone about her new boyfriend. They'd only been going out for a month. She felt him sigh.

"I think your cousin might have a problem with us."

Bria turned abruptly in his arms and kissed him, "What makes you think that?"

He shrugged then loosened his hold on her. Nikki appeared beside them, the twinkle back in her eyes, "So are ya dancing with us or what?" Jack shook his head and Nikki shrugged, pulling Bria's hand so they could go back to shaking their hips in the middle of the room.

Sunday turned out to be a half lazy day. Nikki and Bria stayed in bed till after one then showered so they could make it to brunch before two. They had just made it out of the line and were looking for seats when Bria heard her name across the room. Happily Bria crossed the room, Nikki trailing behind her. They took seats at the table where Jack and few of his buddies were just digging in to their meals.

"Hi," Bria said reaching over to take Jack's hand. She figured that now was as good as any time for her to tell Nikki she was dating someone.

He gave her a surprised but pleased look in return, "Hey blondie."

Nikki popped a piece of bacon into her mouth and Bria smacked her hand. "What?" Nikki asked irritably.

Bria rolled her eyes, "Grace heathen."

Nikki scowled, "You can't be serious." Bria just stared at her then bowed her head while Nikki rolled her eyes heavenward. "Dear Jesus, bless this food. May it still be hot and tasty. Amen."

Bria grinned at her silly cousin and they began to eat. After a few quiet moments, Nikki noticed Bria's hand was still entwined with Jack's. Her eyebrows drew together in what Bria knew to be mischief.

"Is there anything I can do for you Nikki," Bria asked in a sickly sweet way, daring Nikki start in on the teasing. Bria supposed she was owed it since she'd done her fair share of teasing when Nikki started dating Jordan.

Nikki shook her head then directed her comment at Jack, "So how long have you known my cousin?"

"A little over a month," he answered.

"And refresh my memory, you're a history major right?" He nodded, his eyes getting guarded. "What do you do with that in the military?"

"I'm actually thinking of going into the JAG," he said referring to judicial arm of the military.

Nikki let one of her eyebrow's arch, "Law?"

"Yeah, I have a thing about justice and equality," he said tersely. Bria squeezed his hand in concern.

Nikki started laughing, "I'll bet."

The other people at their table stopped eating, taking in Jack's tense face and Nikki's glee. Bria shook her head, "You're not going to let me live this down are you?" Nikki shook her head.

"What's your problem?" one of Jack's friends asked in irritation. He didn't like that the dark haired girl was getting off on being derogatory towards his friend. So what if Jack wasn't white? It wasn't like the dark haired girl was fully white either if you judged by her lightly tinted skin.

"I don't have a problem."

Jack gave her a piercing look, "So you don't have a problem with blondie dating a…"

Nikki smiled, "A military history major? Naw. I actually feel like hell is freezing over."

Bria smacked her, "You're such an ass."

"No. I mean that she's dating a black man," Jack said coldly. He hadn't expected it in this day and age but then again…

Bria and Nikki both snapped their gazes on him, their mouths open. He and his friends thought Nikki didn't like him or was, even worse, a racist. Nikki finally found her voice, "You can't be serious."

"Oh he's very serious, and so are we," Jack's friend spoke up in a dangerously calm voice, "We don't tolerate intolerance around us."

Bria threw up her hands, "Wait, wait. Look, Nikki was really ragging on me, giving me a hard time about dating period. It isn't because of your race Jack."

The guys looked skeptically at Nikki who took a deep breath looked Jack straight in the eyes, "Jack, I didn't realize I was coming off that way. I don't have a problem with you, honest. I find it ironic that my cousin would date a legal type since her Dad and brother are both, uh, legal types." Nikki didn't want to get into specifics, feeling that the information would be better shared by Bria when she was ready.

"Seriously?" his other friend asked. Bria nodded and some of the tension ebbed out of the group.

"Yeah," Nikki continued a small smile on her lips, "You know I've never been accused of being an elitist before."

"Yeah, I can't wait to spread that to my Miami relatives," Bria gave her a light tap on the shoulder thinking in particular of her Uncle Rome and Uncle Tej. She wondered if the comments would have been construed differently if the guys knew how diverse their family really was.

Nikki's smile evaporated, "Jack, I apologize." He and his friends nodded, and breakfast continued but Nikki remained pensive for the rest of the day.


	12. Epic Struggle pt 2

**Disclaimer: **Don't own. Don't sue. Thanks!

**Epic Struggle of Man Versus Woman (pt 2)**

Nikki was lying on her bed desperately trying to cram in one more chapter of history before she gave up. She really didn't want this assignment hanging over her head all fall break. She was eighteen now and finally after almost a year and a half of dating she was going to separate from Jordan for a whole week to go visit Bria at Stanford. Deciding to give up after another fruitless hour, Nikki fell asleep. The next morning she drove all the way to Stanford on her own. Then she and Bria proceeded to run all over campus for the entire week. Nikki barely talked to anyone at home to include her boyfriend. The cousin's were just having too much fun.

Tiredly Nikki pulled into the driveway the following Sunday. Nic and Gio jumped on her as soon as she opened the door. They sat close to her as she shared stories of Bria and the college, their eyes lighting up when she gave them little trinkets from her travels. It was only eight o'clock but Nikki felt her eyes starting to droop so she took a shower. She was surprised when Junior knocked on her door as she was crawling into bed to tell her that Jordan was waiting downstairs. Nikki frowned. She wanted to see him and yet she was just feeling really worn down. Intending to keep the conversation quick she padded downstairs in her tank top and new cotton shorts with Stanford on them. Jordan didn't look happy to see her.

"Hi Jordan," she said softly.

"Hey. I won't keep you from bedtime long. I just wanted to talk to you for a minute."

Noticing the odd coolness in his voice she grabbed her jacket and slipped into a pair of flip flops by the door. He made his farewells then followed her to the porch.

"So what's up?"

"I've been trying to reach you since I talked to you Tuesday. What happened up there?"

"I know. Bria and I were having so much fun hanging out that I just lost track of things," she told him honestly.

"And you couldn't have taken five minutes to call me?"

"I didn't realize it was such a big deal to you," Nikki said defensively. He seemed overly angry for a simple missed call.

"Nikki I spent the last few days wondering if you were sick or hurt or out with someone else. I've had to endure my Dad telling me that you are no good for me. That your indecent clothes and the prideful way you flaunt your body should have warned me. But I didn't listen. And now I find you don't even care enough to call when you get home," he ranted.

"Your Dad is bad mouthing me now?" Nikki asked startled. She knew the man didn't seem to care for her but she didn't know he'd verbalized it to his son.

"He's not the only one. I've been defending you to my friends and family for over a year and this is how you repay me. You embarrass me with your lack of caring. I bet you had a fling while you were away. Is that the truth?"

"You know, I'm not dealing with this. Go home Jordan," Nikki's words were filled with ice.

"Just tell me the truth," he said desperately.

"Get outta here. I can't believe you even asked me that."

"You can't believe…What else can I believe? You've been throwing your body at me since day one. What makes me thing you wouldn't do that with someone else?"

"I never threw myself at you Jordan. And I never cheated on you. You happy now!"

"No! Where were you all week Nikki? What did you do when you weren't with me?"

"I already told you. Believe what you want." Nikki was starting to feel cold and numb, her feelings twisted around. He wasn't making any sense. He just seemed lost in his rage. She turned to walk in the house but he grabbed her, turning her around sharply. Instinctively she reached out and smacked him hard in the face.

"Don't come near me anymore you silly little harlot," he emphasized, shaking her with each word before he released her to walk to his car.

It took a week for Nikki to accept his phone call. He'd called every day, at least ten times, to say that he was sorry. It hadn't been him, it was the worry and stress, it was her cavalier attitude towards his feelings, it had been a weak moment. Begging became his language of choice which he did until she agreed to go out with him. He told her to dress up, that it was going to be a very special night. And she did because she was enjoying his groveling. The blindfold he put over her eyes was mysterious and touching. Surf crashing against the shore forty-five minutes later told her they were at the beach, but not anywhere that he'd taken her before. The other parts of the beach they frequented were much closer than that. They traversed some stairs, the door squeaking open at their arrival. A table for two was waiting for her when he removed the blindfold in the little beach house.

"Where are we?"

"The Todd family beach house. My brother let me borrow his key. He knew I needed to do something special to win you back."

"Well this is special." No one had done something this romantic for her. He served her dinner: chicken primavera that he promised his sister-in-law had made. He served her favorite soda, vanilla coke, in wine glasses. There was soft music in the background that occasionally was overtaken by the sound of the surf crashing on the beach. He offered her a dance after dinner and she agreed. They turned around in a small little circle since he couldn't dance very well. Things were going well, so well that he kissed her long and soft. This time Nikki pulled back.

"I know you're not throwing yourself at me Nikki," he told her softly, caressing her cheek with his hand. The touches blended into another kiss and slowly his hands wound into her hair. Tonight he wasn't going to hold back, he'd show her how much he cared. She went still in his arms when he started removing her clothes.

"I'm not ready for that," she told him shyly.

"I'll take good care of you Nikki. You're mine remember?" He kissed her again till she was muttering incoherently. "You want me Nikki?"

"Yes."

"Tell me," he demanded.

"I want you," she told him eagerly. His hands started taking her clothes again, this time she was firm, "But I'm not ready for sex Jordan."

"You're not ready for sex with anyone or just me?" he asked stiffly.

"Not anyone. Jordan, maybe we should go. I had a really good time and I don't want to ruin it."

"Yeah, let's go," His tone held bitterness. Nikki nodded with apprehension. She went to the bathroom to right her clothes, returning to see him locking the sliding glass door. Clasping hands they walked to the front door, he locked the door before she could open it. Nikki suddenly found herself against the door, between his body and the unyielding wood. Her yells didn't matter to him, her kicks and punches not fazing his solid body. He took from her what he wanted, not heeding her earlier words then levied punches to her body for her attempt to fight back. Eventually Nikki quit fighting, quit letting the silent tears course down her face. He offered her a towel for the blood staining her thighs, resigning himself to clean her up when she didn't move to do it herself. He told her that she had to know it was coming, that he'd only be able to take so much of her flaunting herself in front of him. When they pulled up to her house she didn't wait for him to come open her door, choosing to run up the steps, dropping her purse in her haste to get inside and lock him out.


	13. emBEDded pt 1

**Disclaimer: **Don't own. Don't sue. Thanks!

**emBEDded (pt 1)**

The music was playing loud in his apartment again. It made a smile tease his lips as he shook his head, made him eager to enter. Today Summer was in his kitchen, feet bare, legs smoothly disappearing under her sundress, arms flailing as she bounced in place cutting fruit into silly shapes. She was always doing things like that, making the food look whimsical, her culinary classes and natural artistic ability coming out. Upbeat song faded into a slow one filled with the sweet lyrics of love songs, her dance slowing to match its tempo, her voice rising to add to the lyrical harmony. Easily he slipped into the room, coming to bracket her body from behind, her body immediately adjusting to rest on his. Shoulders fell to his chest, head tilted to rest on his shoulder, the sway of her hips gently brushing his. Sweet kisses were peppered on her exposed neck, his hands slowly crawling up her body to lower the straps of her dress. Dinner could wait.

"Casche sugar, we're gonna be late if you keep this up," Summer teased, not bothering to move from their position. He already had her breasts exposed and was now artfully pulling her blond hair around them, pretending to cover her up but really teasing. There wasn't a response, Summer hadn't expected one. Instead his hands continued to play, slowly slipping the dress off her, his kisses falling lower on her body. Pretending that they weren't going to have sex in the kitchen was futile, making it easy for her to give in the pounding of her heart, the ache between her legs.

Teasingly she popped a strawberry in his mouth to give her enough time to turn in his arms, start on his clothes while he chewed. Swallowed before she could get his belt undone she reached behind her, grabbing a grape to repeat the gesture. He had the grace to grin and accept the offer. She pulled his shirt over his head. Over and over, apple slice then pineapple chunk, more strawberries, a blueberry, slippery grapes. The juice began to stick to her fingers, making her work on his jeans more fun. A giggle escaped when he licked her offered fingers, their bodies completely naked now. Eager to make her as sticky as she'd made him he plucked a small piece of watermelon from the pile of fruit, first offering her a bite before using the rest to run across her neck and chest. The shiver that came from her told him that time for play was almost over so he popped the rest of the pink fruit into his mouth to chew before kissing down the path he'd just traced. Fingers tugged his short black hair. Yep, she was done with play. He picked her up carrying her to the shower. Summer was right: they were going to be late.

"Um Casche," she started questioning when he put her in the spray but she quickly stopped when he turned her away from him, braced her hands against the wall of the shower and entered her.

"We're multitasking," he told her before they quit talking altogether.

Two hours later Casche was feeling a lot more relaxed as he rode up the elevator with Summer, one arm cradling the basket she'd carved out of the watermelon filled to the brim with fruit. She had a second container filled with additional fruit salad that couldn't fit in her creation. Han opened the door to the penthouse, giving Summer an appreciative glance before the right corner of his mouth fell slightly into what Casche knew to be a smirk. Han's long colorful history with women had conditioned his mind to catch the subtleties between people and the way they interacted. He could tell that whatever the pair had been doing to make them late had been deeper than just sex, even if they were acting like it wasn't.

Casche led the way to the kitchen and the spread of food covering the counters, Summer trailing him with a lazy smile on her face. Placing the fruit salad near the other desserts, he plucked the rest of her offering out of her hands and threw it in the large refrigerator.

"Hungry?" He was already handing her a plate barely pausing to get one for himself and start piling it with food. She only took a small portion, barely enough to cover her plate. He shook his head at her meager helping compared to his heaping mound. "I don't know how you survive."

They joined the rest of his family in the large seating area in front of the TV. He helped her sit next to him on the floor, and they began to eat, the rest of his family clearly already done.

"So what did you bring besides your friend," Mia asked. Casche was impressed his aunt had waited that long to comment, that the other's hadn't said anything to him about bringing someone around. It was a rare thing to have additions to these get-togethers.

"They brought fruit salad," his sister Trix answered for him, a glass of the sweet smelling mixture in her hands, fork poised to take another bite of a strawberry fanned out like little leaves.

"The bowl is cute. Where'd you get that?" his cousin Nikki asked a glass also in her hand. Casche nodded at Summer, his mouth full. Trix and Nikki gave the Summer a long look before going to sit on the opposite side of the area from him. He knew they were going to start whispering soon. That friendship had really cemented itself while Bria, his other cousin, was away for college. Bria walked in the room carrying the bowl in question on a tray, followed by Tony and Junior who each had their arms full of glasses. Georgeanne finally emerged from the kitchen holding a handful of utensils and a large spoon aloft. There was a flurry of activity as glasses were filled with fruit, then offered among the assembly.

Summer reached for his empty plate to return them to the kitchen, the casualness of the gesture not missing anyone in the group, least of all Georgeanne. Lips relaxed, eyes deceptively empty she locked gazes with Casche. He knew what that was about. He'd had a crush on her for years, Georgeanne his cousin by circumstance not by blood. It had been easy to do, hers was the face and body that many a model wished for. Exotic features from the odd pairing of a Chinese-American man and a French woman, attitude formed by a charmed existence of privileged indulgence, made her an attractive combination that was hard for any sex to resist. Six years ago when she'd arrived with her father from Japan he'd let himself fall hard for her, his seventeen year old emotions running high though he was careful not to let them show. Infatuation for her hadn't died when he'd found she was as predatory as him and the rest of his male cousins when it came to women.

Infatuation led him to let Georgeanne decorate his apartment in more her taste than his two years ago in hopes that she would feel comfortable enough there to spend more time with him. Instead it had turned his bedroom into a space where he didn't feel like he could have sex in. The room was really all her. The oversized king bed, too tall for most women to climb into without the little step stools on either side of the bed. The covers and window treatments done in the pale grey of her eyes, the walls the same chocolate color of her hair. For the first six months he'd had a difficult time sleeping in there without feeling like he wanted to screw her brains out, family and her sexual preference be damned. And he never let women sleep at his place, never had sex in his room because he didn't want to confuse them with the one woman he wanted and couldn't have.

Now at twenty-three Casche had a healthier attitude regarding his feelings for Georgeanne. No one had mentioned his obsession, not that he'd really given them a chance to notice, repressing his feelings as he'd done for so long. And after he quit associating her with his bedroom he no longer lost himself in fantasy about her or felt disturbed about having a woman in his apartment. It turned out that the bed had a lot to do with that. Trix, Nikki, and Bria had come over during the Christmas holiday to help him wrap gifts in exchange for letting them wrap their own in the privacy of his apartment. That particular night he was going to run errands to stay clear of the giggling that usually occurred when those three got together. He even stayed out later than expected, going to shoot pool with Tony and his law buddies. He returned to his apartment expecting that the girls would be gone but he found them curled up sleeping in his bed instead.

As time went on he started inviting others to his place, finding that the overlarge bed was a comfortable place for activity to happen. Gio and Nic loved wrestling on it, its softness more yielding than the carpet or hardwood floors they normally played on. Trix always liked to wallow in the bed when she came to spend time with him. Nikki had spent a few restless nights at his place lately following fights with her family where she tossed and turned in the bed until morning. He'd poured a very drunk Ryan into it a few weeks ago, letting his cousin sleep well into the following afternoon in its comfortable folds. Summer had been the first woman not in his family to visit his apartment and she'd taken a liking to his bed during the tour. And while they'd spent the last two months sleeping together in his apartment, in that bed, they never had sex in it or in his room.

Staring back into Georgeanne's eyes in the present, he felt the telltale stirrings of his desire for her filling his insides. Georgeanne knew she turned him on, even if she never acknowledged it verbally, and he knew that she really wished that she didn't. However the look she gave him in this moment was laced with regret, perhaps that he was moving on, feeling comfortable enough to bring another woman around her. They didn't lose eye contact until Summer came back, Georgeanne tilting a glass filled with fruit towards the blond.

"Want some?" Georgeanne asked in her lightly accented English, her lips curling absently into an openly sexy invitation. It wasn't something she meant to do on purpose, the action so practiced that it came naturally when she was dealing with others, particularly unknown women. Summer shook her head so Georgeanne made an offer to Casche instead, "How about you?"

"No thanks Gigi. I got to taste test earlier," he told her smoothly. Summer's shoulders shook with quiet laughter.

"Sure you don't want more?" Georgeanne asked with a small smirk, her mind coming to a conclusion about how fruit could have factored into the sex that had delayed him. "You Simmons' have a reputation for healthy appetites."

Not really understanding the change in her, Casche took the proffered glass from Georgeanne, their fingers not making contact at all. But his mind skyrocketed to sex with Georgeanne anyway when her fingers brushed against Summer's as she relinquished the fork. They watched a movie, Dom and Vince arriving with Nic and Gio half way through. The boys immediately ran to tackle Casche their more than willing wrestling partner. He tickled and rolled with them on the floor for a while, their little jabs starting to become more powerful than they had been when the game started years ago. And he felt less on edge when he and Summer left the penthouse later, Casche carrying one sleeping boy out to Junior's car. It was cooler outside now so he gave his keys to Summer so she could wait in the car, then gently placed Nic in the back seat, buckling the slightly snoring boy.

"It's good to see you moving forward," Junior told him conversationally. Casche looked at his favorite cousin, knowing he wouldn't have to say anything, that the other shoe would drop, "Just don't backpedal."

Casche nodded in understanding. Summer was good for him, a step in the right direction. Her invitation to sit in on family time was a public announcement that he was serious about her, even if he didn't recognize it fully yet. But maybe he wasn't as good at keeping his feelings about Georgeanne a secret as he thought he'd been if Junior hadn't missed their odd interplay.

It had been Casche's intention to get over his bedroom hang up and have sex with Summer in his bed two weeks later. He had to admit that she looked sexy with her hair swinging around her frame, propped on her knees in the middle of his bed, singing into a pretend microphone in one of his garage shirts. Her eyes were closed today as she laughed to herself before falling backwards on the bed to kick her legs in the air at a particularly exciting part of the music. He'd been thinking about her all day, imaging her wrapped around him, singing out his name. So finding her uninhibitedly rocking out on his bed was sexy and entertaining to him. Quietly he took off his shoes then climbed onto the bed with her. She opened her eyes slow and lazy, her arms going out to hug him close and he spread her legs so he could nestle between them.

"Casche sugar you're home early," she whispered feeling his intentions pressing her hips into the bed. He pecked her mouth quickly, his hands running down her sides as she reached up for another peck. Knowing he was focused she ran her hands down his chest to pull up the hem of his shirt, her fingers teasing his stomach, causing him to grunt in distraction. She giggled when he pulled her hands up over her head, holding them captive with one of his own.

"No more distractions," he told her mumbling into her skin exposed by his shirt. His free hand started to unbutton the borrowed shirt, uncovering her breasts to his kisses. It made her squirm, her right leg coming to hook around his waist. She felt his smile around her nipple causing her to sigh loudly. He kept teasing her, slowly undoing buttons, not taking his clothes off, frustrating her. Falling under a haze she bent her left leg preparing to hook it around his waist to bring him closer but he stopped the movement, his free hand coming behind her leg, straightening it, lifting it till her toes pointed to the sky. She groaned in frustration, knowing that the begging would come soon if he didn't stop holding back.

"Uncle Casche! Uncle Casche!" the little boy's voices sounded through his apartment. Casche looked back to see Nic and Gio barreling towards his bed, unaware that the position he had Summer in should have given them pause.

"I wanna wrestle too," Gio called out eagerly as he crawled over to them, throwing himself on Casche's back. He lowered himself gently to cover Summer's body, releasing her arms and leg from his hold. Nic joined them, falling on his legs.

"Boys? Casche?" Junior called out, his voice traveling closer to the room.

"Hurry Daddy! Uncle Casche is wrestling Summer," Nic called with a laugh. Junior rounded the corner with Tony and Ryan to see his sons giggling from their positions sprawled over Casche who was lying very still on top of Summer. Her legs were bare, the right still hooked loosely around Casche's left.

"Gio and Nic. Out. Now," Junior commanded. The boys looked confusedly at their father, unsure why he was stopping their play. The look he levied them made their scurries into the living room quick. "Sorry," he told the couple quickly before Ryan closed the door. Casche heard the adults snickering as they walked back down the hall. Rolling over he flipped onto his back, one arm thrown over his eyes. He'd given keys to his place out to Junior and Trix long before he'd ever considered he'd have a woman here. Wondering if it would be crappy to ask for the keys back, he felt Summer roll to kneel on the bed. Shifting his arm so he could watch her button the top back up while he swept the fingers from his other hand across her hip, he frowned.

"I'll tell them to leave."

"Don't start," she joked leaning down to give him a long kiss that made him ready to continue where they left off, "go wrestle and get sweaty. We can multitask in the shower later."

Sliding off the bed Summer tugged on jeans, ran a brush through her hair a few times, then padded down the hallway, Casche bringing up the rear. His cousins were sitting in the living room trying to figure out his universal remote so they could catch sports stats on ESPN. The TV was on but they couldn't raise the sound or shut off the radio. Summer held her hand out for the object, killing the music and replacing it with the announcer's voice surround sound but at a lower decibel than the music had been. Tony gave her an appreciative smile.

"Finished your match quickly," Ryan ribbed.

"Yeah, good thing we offered to pick you up for Jessie's soccer match. You would have been late," Tony added his face glued to the ticker scrolling though information at the bottom of the screen.

"Are you coming too?" Nic asked Summer sourly. He hadn't fully understood his father's explanation for why he and his brother couldn't play with Casche and Summer earlier.

"Not this time," Summer said finding her keys, shoes, and laptop bag. Casche gave her a questioning glance that clearly asked where she thought she was going. He thought she was going to wait for him here, in his house, in his bed. She laughed, cupping his face in her hand and kissing him quickly on the lips. He was satisfied she would be back later too.


	14. Epic Struggle pt 3

**Disclaimer: **Don't own. Don't sue. Thanks!

**Epic Struggle of Man Versus Woman (pt 3)**

"Damn it Nikki don't you walk away from me!" Jordan's voice rent the air. Nikki tried to remain calm, walking up the drive to the front of the house. She didn't want him to think that she was afraid. Of all days for no one to be at home… She'd left the party right away to get away from him, driving much faster than she should have on the city streets. Why had he followed her here? She had paused to talk to him, to reason with him to leave her alone. They were done. She was done.

She heard the thump of his hand against the roof of his car. She was so close. Just ten more steps and she'd be able to enter the house, bolt the door against him. Perhaps he'd let her go without the fight. She was so tired of fighting. The jingle of her keys broke his resolve. She could hear him take off, running towards her. She'd just unlocked the door when his hands gripped her hair. He whipped her around, using his other hand to pin her to the door by her neck.

"I'm not fucking joking Nikki," he raged at her, "I'm not letting you go." His possessiveness had become unbearable in the last few months. What had started off as annoying calls had turned into late-night accusations that she was cheating on him. All because she hadn't picked up the phone while she slept. Or wanted to spend more time with her cousins. Because she'd rather watch her nephews to give her brother a break. Jordan's anger had started getting more frequent and intense, much to her annoyance.

But a month ago when he smacked her after a Valentine 's Day dinner in public she'd finally had enough courage to break up with him. This was not the first time since then they had 'broken up'. She'd stood in the driveway trying to remind him that their relationship had ended over a month ago. She'd even broken up with him tonight again, or at least tried to. But it looked like all she got for her trouble was restriction of her air supply. Unwilling to play the victim, Nikki concentrated all of her energy on keeping her hands away from the one around her neck. She'd found he fed off her fear and she was determined not to give him any satisfaction tonight.

"Stop," she wheezed out. She had a predisposition to be attracted to large men like her father and brother. Tonight she wished she'd been dating someone with a less powerful physique. Jordan released her neck, grabbing her arm instead. Leaving her keys in the door and her bag spilling its contents on the top step, he started to pull her down the front stairs. Gulps of air met her lungs as she dug in her heels. She was not getting into that car with him. Not now, not ever. If she could help it. Agitated, he spun around knocking her to the ground. She tried desperately to get to her feet but he was there pushing her down into the grass on her front lawn. His knees bracketed her hips and she forgot to pretend she wasn't scared. Her hands went up to cover her face. She knew what he was ready to do. Seconds later the blows came.

"Fuck you Nikki! Fuck you! You're mine! You hear me! Mine!" Each word was emphasized by a fist to her body. She started crying. It hurt. He wasn't holding them back. Her tears brought over a change in him. He slapped her face before pulling her up in a flimsy hug. He started to kiss her face and hair, crooning about how much he loved her. He didn't say he was sorry or give false promises that the beatings wouldn't occur again. That would come hours or days later depending on how long it took him to catch her alone, force sex she didn't want to appease his guilt. His raging now over, Jordan released her, pausing to help her up. She didn't take his hand, preferring to get up on her own. He frowned. She rushed up the stairs before he could stop her this time, slamming the door and throwing the deadbolt before she burst into renewed tears.

"Nikki! I'm tired of finding your shit all over," her mother told her the following morning. Letty and Dom had returned with their grandsons the previous night to find her the contents of her purse still strewn about outside. It wouldn't be the first time Nikki had left things lying around. She'd started getting absent minded a few months ago and it was driving Letty insane.

"Ok," Nikki said absently searching the fridge for juice. Her head hurt from all of the crying she'd done the night before. Not to mention she had some bruising reminders on her chest and stomach from Jordan's fists.

"Abuela," Gio called out tentatively rubbing his still sleepy eyes, "can I have pancakes? Please?"

"Nikki will make them for you," Letty said, gathering the boy up to sit on her lap. He rested his head against her shoulder while she flipped through a racing magazine. Nikki sighed. She really didn't feel like making pancakes today. They'd had pancakes for the last three days.

"I was thinking of going to the garage early," she responded after a sip of her juice.

"Junior has you blocked in so you can cook while you wait," Letty told her. Nikki's attitude had changed lately too but she chalked it up to her daughter being eighteen and breaking up with her boyfriend last month.

"Gio, are you sure you don't want cereal instead?" Nikki begged. Gio shook his head further into Letty's shoulder.

"Just make the pancakes," Letty told her starting to get irritated.

"What if I don't feel like it?" The question had popped out of Nikki's mouth before she'd really thought about it.

"I don't care what you feel like doing."

"Obviously!" Nikki blew up, temper overflowing. "No one cares about what I feel! I just have to take everyone's orders, do what everyone says! I'm just so tired of putting up with everyone's crap!"

She stormed through the cabinets, flinging them open for a bowl, the pan, and the pancake mix. Violently she shoved the bowl under the faucet to wet the powder she'd added. Stirring like a loon, she fired up the stove and started to make the pancakes still fuming.

"Someone's cheerful this morning," Junior noted, catching the tail end of his sister's rant and her jerky movements.

"Shut the fuck up and move your car," Nikki spat out.

Junior's brows knit together, "Who are you talking to like that?"

She turned around, giving him a glare, "Don't start. I'm feeling equal opportunity today."

"Watch your mouth with me Nikki. I'm not in the mood," he squared off.

"What's with all the yelling in here?" Dom asked appearing at table next to Letty. Why was his whole household already feisty this morning?

"Nikki's PMSing," Junior snapped. Nikki flipped the last of the pancakes on a plate, practically dropped them on the table then stormed out of the house.

"Hey you want pancakes little man?" Letty asked Gio who was looking sadly down at his lap. He shook his head. Letty was going to have a war of the words with Nikki when they got home from work today.

"Come on crybaby. Pancakes are already made now," Nic said reaching for the syrup.

Dom gave his eldest grandson a look that told him to cool it. "What is wrong with all of you?" The question wasn't rhetorical but they treated it as such, preferring to respond with the chink of forks on plates.

Jordan hadn't expected to get a chance to see Dominique again so soon. He'd been waiting around the corner from her house, watching to see if her family would leave before her. If they did, he wanted a chance to catch her, to apologize. She was just so willful, really bringing these punishments on herself with her brazenness, her disregard for his values. But they'd make love and she'd be ok. He just knew it. That was just what they did. When she came barreling out of the house, bypassing her car and setting off down the street on foot he couldn't believe his luck. He dipped back around the corner. She was probably on her way to Toretto's Café. Her family had owned it long before she'd been born. Her quick agitated strides were eating up the pavement. As long as she didn't cross the street before the corner he'd be able to…

Nikki's feet naturally took her on the familiar route she used to get to the café, long before she'd had a car. She knew she could cheat it, cross the street diagonally to make the left necessary to continue her journey but she wanted to extra time to cool down. She hadn't meant to take out her frustrations on her family, least of all her nephew. She would make it up to him later. At the corner the hand that shot out to grab her arm startled her. She hadn't been prepared for it. Jordan had her arms pinned to her side in seconds. She started to work on kicking him, landing a blow on his shin.

"Damn it Nikki!" he yelled in pain. She started twisting in his hands again. Not again. Please not again. Today she was going to yell out. To get help. She couldn't handle this on her own anymore. Jordan felt her continue to struggle in his arms. His anger started to take over. What was wrong with her today?

"HELP!" Nikki called out. Jordan was already dragging her to his car. It was harder to dig her feet into the pavement but she fought with all her might. Too bad Jordan had a hundred pounds on her. He picked her up, grunting when she continued to struggle. "HELP ME!"

"Stop it Nikki!" but she kept screaming so he dropped her. She fell to the pavement hard, her hands reaching out to catch her. The adrenaline coursing through her helped her start pushing herself up to run, but the fist that clobbered her in the back of her head knocked her face into the ground and her lights out.


	15. emBEDded pt 2

**Disclaimer: **Don't own. Don't sue. Thanks!

**emBEDded (pt 2)**

Ringing phones could normally be ignored in the middle of sleep and Casche wanted to. He was exhausted having run two trucks across the border in less than twenty-four hours, only arriving home two hours ago, falling into fitful sleep because Summer wasn't there. In the past month she'd been sleeping at his place more often than not making him feel out of place when she was gone. His blurry eyes noticed the time on his persistently ringing cell phone. Just after six pm. _'Who was calling him?'_ Frustratingly his house line began to sing again irritation making him fumble to find the receiver and curse whoever was on the line. But the ringing stopped suddenly before he his finger could punch the little button and he buried his head in a pillow. Warm fingers closed over his shoulder moments later and he cracked an eye to get a look at Summer.

"It's Trix and she's frantic," Summer told him apologetically, still in one of her suits she wore to work. Propping the phone to his ear she turned to start taking off her clothes, his drawers opening and closing as she fumbled for his stuff to bum around in.

"Casche, please tell me you've seen Nikki lately," Trix asked him without preamble.

"No. I haven't been home since yesterday afternoon," he mumbled yawning.

"Did Summer stay at your place? Did she see her?" Trix said, her voice trembling. Casche started to feel a prickle of fear in the back of his mind. He knew that Summer normally stayed at her apartment when he wasn't here but he felt the need to be thorough.

"Summer, did my cousin Nikki come by here last night?"

"I didn't stay here last night. And I haven't seen her lately," she said in concern. He felt her approach the bed and put her hand back on his shoulder.

"Trix, I need you to calm down and tell me what's going on," Casche told her in quiet ferociousness. Something really wasn't right. His cell started ringing again, the display showing it was Junior, knocking his sense of unease up two notches. Pushing the cell into Summer's hand, he motioned for her to answer.

"Casche, no one has seen Nikki since yesterday morning. She…"

"Hold on," Casche told her as Summer tapped his shoulder.

"Casche, I'm coming over there," Trix told him.

"No! Stay where you are Trix. We don't need anyone else to go missing right now," he told her gruffly.

"I don't want to be here by myself," she said, her tears clear even over the phone.

"Where are you?"

"Vince's. He's at Uncle Dom's trying to calm him down."

"Do not leave his apartment understand? I'll come get you," he told her immediately popping up to put on his pants.

"Ok. Hurry, please," Trix requested.

"Of course," he told her before hanging up to switch to Junior waiting on his cell.

"Junior, Trix said Nikki's missing," he started without preamble, already reaching for his keys, grabbing his gun from the closet. He could see Summer pulling on her jeans and tank top, looking for her shoes. He nodded. He wasn't leaving her alone either.

"She's not at your place?" Junior asked in distress.

"No. Who saw her last? Where's her car? Police get anything?" He grabbed Summer's hand, carefully locking up his apartment before tossing her the keys. She could drive while he got more information. "You remember how to get to Vince's?" She nodded and he returned to Junior's explanation.

"She left the house on foot yesterday morning pissed. But she had her keys and she told us that she wanted to go to the garage. Her car is still here. I had her blocked in. She never made it to the garage, no one saw her at the café. We can't get her on her cell. And the police won't look until forty-eight hours have passed. She never came home last night. And when she didn't show today…"

Of course everyone had started to flip. It was Sunday. Even if the whole family wasn't getting together for a big dinner at someone's house there would always be a tradition of dinner at the Toretto's for those who wanted it. No matter how angry she was she wouldn't have missed that. She never had, not even when she had dated that kid Jordan.

"Where have you looked?"

"She's not with family. We called Bria to see if she's out there. Bria said she'd call right away if Nikki showed up." Bria was in college at Stanford, six hours from them. Casche thought it unlikely his cousin would have gone up there without her car.

"Is everyone at your place right now?" They had pulled up to Vince's apartment complex. Casche looked at Summer, his gaze holding menace, "Lock the doors."

"Mostly. You coming?"

Quickly he went to Vince's door, his knock being answered swiftly by his half-sister. She looked paler than normal as she pushed out of the door, locking it before he grabbed her hand and marched her to the car. They got in and were off right away.

"Get Nic and Gio ready. They can stay at my place. We're going out," he told Junior before hanging up, giving Summer directions to the Toretto house in Echo Park. He knew Junior understood that they were going to rustle up the whereabouts of their missing member by any means necessary. The ride to the house was quick and quiet, their minds all racing to a conclusion that would help them find Nikki. The people gathered in the house were as anxious as they were. Junior's eyes met Casche's, everyone else was looking at his dangerous face. Vince had looked the same way hours earlier when he'd come to talk Dom out of doing crazy and irrational things to find his daughter. The look made him too scary for the young boys to approach him for comfort.

"Summer and Trix are going to take the boys to my place," he told the group at large. His Aunt Letty looked at him with haunted eyes. Junior must have talked her into it before he got there. Her first reaction would be to gather everyone close to her like this was a fort rather than disburse them out. Georgeanne was there sitting close enough for comfort but not really touching Letty at all. Georgeanne was a piss poor coddler but still great in the area of support. She could stay right where she was, especially since he didn't want her in his space. Leon, Vince, and Dom walked in as Summer, Trix, and the boys were leaving.

"I thought I told you not to leave the house," Vince growled at Trix.

"Casche came to get me," she said hastily. Vince gave Casche a gruff look like he was pleased that they were of a same mind.

"Where are you going now?" Dom asked irritably. His eyes were rimmed with red, a combination of lost sleep and falling to pieces.

"Casche's with the boys where it's quiet," Trix supplied readily. There was another nod from Vince and they left quickly.

"Mia said she'd call if Nikki turned up at the hospital," Vince told his son, knowing that this was one of those rare times where being apart would help their cause more than being together. "Brian's begging for a favor from his cop buddies," he continued although there was an extra edge in the way he said 'cop'.

"Han's rustling up his contacts to keep a look out for her," Georgeanne added. No one needed an explanation. Han's contacts were a vast number of people on the wrong side of the law.

"Tony," Casche started, knowing that his lawyer cousin did not need to hear anything else tonight, "Do you mind waiting at your parent's tonight? I might need you close by." Tony looked like he wanted to protest but Ryan shook his head at his twin. Tony couldn't risk being on the wrong side of the law, not if they needed him to defend them later. He got up quickly and headed out the door, knowing that his role was better served off the field than on it.

"So why did she leave again?" Casche asked sitting down near his aunt.

Letty looked up into Casche's face, her eyes dry, her stomach rolling, "We fought about her leaving her shit lying around and making pancakes."

"What shit?" Vince asked quickly. That was a new bit of information.

"Her purse was lying outside when we got home Friday night. She's been doing that a lot lately, dropping the purse on the porch, leaving her backpack dropped all over the driveway or yard. Leaving her cell phone in her car," Letty said tiredly.

"Was her stuff in her purse?"

"No. We had to pick it up," Dom said tersely, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Do you know why she broke up with Jordan?" Georgeanne asked suddenly. No one spoke.

"Has anyone talked to Jordan since she disappeared?" Vince asked slowly. Faces started to pale.

"You think he took her?" Junior asked, his face easily adapting to a stony mask.

"I think somebody has been bothering her, scaring her so she drops stuff, maybe to run," Casche said carefully.

"Where does this kid live?" Leon asked.

"Ryan, Junior, let's go," Casche growled. Vince stopped him at the door. "I might shoot somebody tonight," he told his dad in a low menacing voice.

"Call me," Vince responded. Casche knew that was an open ended statement meant for alert if anything in the situation changed. Ryan was already on his cell when Casche got into Junior's car. They backed out onto the street, turning the corner quickly.

"Bria had the same idea to check out the ex-boyfriend. Dad already had the address pulled," Ryan told them, relaying the number and street that turned out to be almost fifteen minutes away. They pulled into the drive of the small apartment complex then knocked on the boy's door.

Jordan answered the booming knocks almost a full minute later. The kid looked awful, scared, like he knew the reason they were there. He didn't say anything at the three men looking back at him to greet them.

"You been bothering my sister since you broke up?" Junior asked in his deceptively calm voice. Jordan shook his head quickly.

"You seen her lately?" Ryan asked also pretending to be calm. Jordan shook his head again.

"You've got to get better at lying Jordan," Casche said coldly, smashing his fist into the boy's face. Jordan immediately put up his hands, his boxing training coming in handy.

"Where is she Jordan?" Junior asked, all pretense of calm leaving his voice. Somehow he knew Jordan was keeping something from them.

"I don't know," he said. Junior pretended he was going to hit the boy, making him turn to block a punch that ended up coming from Casche instead. Jordan fell down but Casche hauled him up, pulling him into the apartment while the others followed. Once the door was closed Casche hit the boy again in the face. Ryan and Junior made a quick search of the apartment but Nikki wasn't there.

"I need you to be real clear right now Jordan," Ryan told the boy solemnly.

"Nod if you understand," Junior told him.

Casche punched Jordan in the face again before adding, "I think that counts."

"Do you know where Nikki is?" Ryan asked the youth.

Jordan spit blood out of his mouth, "No man."

"Then explain her keys," Ryan said quietly pulling her keychain out of his pocket. Ryan had found it lying on the kitchen counter. Cursing under his breath, Casche began to fight the boy, Jordan putting up a good fight. A deflected punch landed under Casche's eye, leaving what felt like it would end up being a small mouse under his eye.

"I'm tired and angry Jordan. Where's my sister! Where's Nikki!" Junior yelled. Jordan made a lunge for Junior but Casche pulled the gun, leveling it at the kid's chest.

"Let's go. Take me to her. No more games." The atmosphere in the place was charged. Jordan looked like he wanted to say no. Casche released the safety. "Let me rephrase. The bullet is going in you if I have to ask again."

Jordan nodded slowly, understanding dawning on him. He held his hands up in a gesture of submission. The beating had been enough, Casche could tell, but the kid was really scared to take them to his cousin. This did not bode well. It meant that Nikki wasn't as well as he'd hoped, that Jordan had done something to her, hurt her in a way that may make him release his bullet anyway. The four men piled into Junior's car, Jordan being supervised in the back seat by Casche. They were directed to a beach house a three quarters of an hour away from the Toretto's house. No one would have thought to look for her here. Jordan opened the door, disarming the alarm, but the place was quiet no lights or sounds breaking the eerie calm.

Casche tapped the boy's scull with his gun. Jordan moved unwillingly up the stairs. The last time he'd left here Nikki hadn't been moving so he was afraid of what he might find, terrified of what these men would do to him when they saw her. Reaching the end of the hallway where the bathroom lay beyond he finally paused unable to make his trembling limbs go further. He prayed he hadn't killed her. Ryan felt cold as he brushed past the young boy, opening the door to the darkened room beyond. He felt around searching for the light switch. It took him a moment to realize that he'd rather the lights had stayed off. The bathroom was a mess. Long sections of dark curly hair littered the floor, splotches of blood helping to cover more of the tile. And lying in the tub naked, her hands cuffed to a balance bar over her head was Nikki. It was her hair lying across the floor, mostly her blood on the tiles, bruises marring her whole body. Her breathing was shallow, her eyes closed, her mouth tight refusing to make a sound.

"Nikki?" Junior said trying to get a response from his little sister. He looked beyond sick.

"Where are the keys Jordan," Casche demanded. He couldn't stand weak bastards that hurt women. He cocked the gun, ready to pull the trigger, the mess be damned.

"No," Ryan said as Junior made to walk forward to cross the bathroom to Nikki, "Call an ambulance Junior, alert the authorities. Put the gun away Casche. Let the police handle this."

Casche clocked the boy with his gun then put it away, satisfied Jordan wasn't going to get up before the police arrived. While Junior called the police, Ryan turned off the bathroom light.

"What are you doing?" Casche asked him carefully, his voice tight with rage.

"I can't look at her like that. And she doesn't seem like she's noticed either way," Ryan explained before whipping out his phone to call Brian. Casche did the same but he called Vince instead.

"Yeah," Vince said answering the phone.

"We found her. Little asshole had her. She needs a doctor though."

"Need any help?" Vince asked. He wondered if Casche had ever needed to dispose of a body before.

"No. Ryan's making us play by the rules, involve the authorities," Casche said testily. Vince harrumphed in understanding. He wanted to hurt the kid irreversibly too.

There was a blur of activity when the emergency vehicles arrived. Casche had gone to sit on the curb across the street from the house to halt awkward questions regarding his weapon, bruised fists, and sore face. He waited patiently as Junior and Ryan answered questions, then joined them a few blocks over to ride to the hospital. Nikki hadn't opened her eyes or spoken through the entire flurry of activity, her body shutting down to handle the stress the doctors had told them. None of the men wanted to tell their family how they'd found Nikki, what she looked like chained in the tub. The reality was horrible. Junior's eyes became progressively haunted as the night wore on, as they waited for a word about her condition. It hadn't been so long ago, a short two years, when he'd sat waiting in this room for another woman's condition. Lena the love of his life, mother of his children, dead and gone before the night was through.

Morning dawned but the family waiting in the room was still there, no one bothering to go home, or pretending that they wanted to be anywhere else. Casche finally succumbed to exhaustion in the middle of the night, the hospital chair not the worst place he'd ever slept. Around eight Summer showed up with Trix, Nic, and Gio bearing breakfast and coffee for everyone. She and Trix looked like they hadn't slept a wink either.

"What about school?" Casche asked her quietly. Summer taught math at a middle school and school was still in session.

"I called out. It's not important," she said cradling his hands in hers, running her fingers lightly around the bruises, never questioning if what he'd done had been right. And that's when Casche knew he'd fallen hard for Summer. She took her traveling companions back to his apartment and the vigil continued till noon, until…

"Mr. and Mrs. Toretto?" the doctor called out to the room. Dom and Letty stood but didn't make a move towards the doctor or the door. "Can I speak to you privately?"

Dom sighed running his hand over his face, "Speak freely doc. Nothing but family in here."

"I apologize for not coming sooner but we wanted to wait until Dominique woke."

"She's awake?" Dom said in relief.

"Yes. But she's in pain. She had two bruised ribs and a fractured ankle but we didn't find any other severe damage." Relief colored faces. Nikki was going to recover, she had woken up, she was going to live.

"So what are you hiding," Casche said suddenly. Something in the way the doctor had looked warned him that they weren't in the clear, that she didn't have just that news to impart.

The doctor coughed clearing her throat, "Did anyone know Dominique was pregnant?"

The statement was met with unnatural stillness but Casche's mind was working on overdrive. Suddenly he understood the unnatural collection of blood, why the boy had put her in the tub.

"Well between her bruising and the evidence of rape, it looks like she spontaneously aborted the fetus," the doctor finished suddenly on edge in the unnatural calm.

"When can we see her," Letty asked after a few minutes of tense silence.

"Whenever you're ready. I…"

"You what doc," Leon asked not allowing her time to gather her thoughts.

"Dominique hasn't said a word since she woke. She's suffered a great deal of trauma. Don't be surprised if it takes her a few weeks to recover emotionally," the doctor said before ushering Dom and Letty to Nikki's room.

Casche looked at Junior's face, trying to gauge his cousin's emotional state. Casche already knew what he was prepared to do. Georgeanne offered her hand to Junior who took it, and they walked together out of the hospital. Georgeanne wouldn't coddle him, but Casche knew that she would help, the same way she seemed to drag Junior out of his depression after Lena died.

"I'm going to bed. Call me," Casche told Vince before walking out of the hospital, calling a cab, riding to his apartment. He wasn't sleepy, not by a long shot but he needed to be away. For the first time in his life he felt like he needed to do something senseless to appease his rage. Walking into the apartment he expected to find the place filled with noise. It was only quarter after one. Muffled cartoon voices were the only ones speaking from inside his bedroom so he knew they were all still there. Eyes adjusting to the dimness of the room shaded from the sun he looked at his bed to find Nic and Gio nestled in between Trix and Summer, all of the occupants asleep. Not wanting to wake them he shuffled quietly around the room for clothes, taking a shower before climbing up behind Summer and letting himself drift to the place where the rest of his bedroom party was playing.

* * *

Three months later and it was officially the start of the summer. It was getting closer, the party in August, and for some reason everyone wanted to get together more often to firm up details. Casche really thought that they preferred to stick together since the kidnapping thing. Sighing Casche went to answer the door, the delegation deciding to meet at his place tonight.

"Where's the party?" Ryan called out with a smile, flashing two six packs at Casche.

"Where do you think?" Casche said grabbing a beer for himself, then letting Ryan pass. The men walked into Casche's room.

"Wow, I'm not the latest one," Ryan said ruefully, catching sight of the others already assembled. Nikki was sitting at the head of the bed, right in the middle head resting on knees but she was smiling. It was about time she started to smile. Junior was propped in up in the bed next to her, his eyes glued to the TV. Bria was on Nikki's other side, lying on her stomach to face the foot of the bed, her arms folded over a notebook. Ryan took up space sitting next to Junior who immediately took a beer. Jessie was sprawled along the foot of the bed, his eyes closed.

"What about this?" Trix asked pulling a slinky dress out of the closet. Summer gave it a look from her position at the dresser.

"Sure, it doesn't fit anymore," Summer offered. Trix smiled. The two women were systematically going through Summer's old clothes to find things for the kids to dress up in at summer camp. A knock sounded on the door followed by a quick buzz of the bell. Casche shook his head, going to answer the door again. The last of their group Tony and Gigi walked through the door, arm in arm.

"Where's mine?" Tony asked pointing to the beer which was then used to point him towards the bedroom. Flipping the lock to the front door Casche took a long pull from his bottle. It would be the first time since she'd finished the room that Georgeanne would be in there, the thought sending tingles of foreboding through him. By a combination of circumstances he and Summer still hadn't gotten around to christening the room or the bed. Walking back he found Tony and Gigi sitting on the small bench he'd pushed under the window so Summer could read in the sunshine. Trix, sensing that they were going to get started climbed on the bed next to Bria, flopping on her stomach so she could read over the older girl's shoulder.

"Ok, so we have the date, the location, the invites are sent," Bria tapped her pencil thoughtfully on her notebook.

"We ever decide on a DJ?" Junior asked, his eyes still glued to the TV.

"Erm," Bria said checking her lists.

"I've got it covered. Gigi's not the only one owed favors," Trix said wistfully.

"Think you can swing it for free too?" Ryan teased.

"I've got it covered," Trix smiled.

"Can I keep all the funds we don't spend?" Jessie asked. Junior kicked him.

"We can use the excess funds on the caterer," Bria pressed on. Summer came to sit on the low dresser next to Casche, his arm automatically coming to rest between her leg, his hand curling under her thigh. The move was possessive but not crass looking.

"Want to volunteer Summer?" Tony asked with a grin. She shook her head.

"Casche, what's the capacity of this bed?" Jessie asked suddenly looking to count the people in it. Casche shrugged.

"Why you plannin' an orgy in it?" Nikki tossed out her old attitude showing. The others laughed.

"Yeah. Safety first you know," Jessie quipped.

"Don't bother him. Go to the source," Ryan said nodding his head at Gigi, "She put it here."

"Oh yeah, you did decorate this whole place," Junior added, still half in the television program.

Gigi gave a saucy smile, "should hold almost three thousand pounds or ten very heavy people."

"Don't think that was overkill?" Trix quipped.

Gigi shrugged her face lighting with an evil half smile, "I was more worried about it withstanding constant pounding and vigorous activity, not a slumber party."

Trix blushed and the rest of them laughed again. Summer turned her face slightly to look at Gigi's relaxed face, really trying to take in the exotic woman's features and personality. Slowly she let her eyes take in Gigi's brown tresses, her smoky grey eyes, the fullness of her lips, her larger than life personality. It was easy to see armed with knowledge of the designer the room really fit Gigi more than it ever fit Casche. But Casche seemed so at ease in the place, letting his life really center in this room, really center on… Summer felt her stomach starting to turn over, her upper lip getting sweaty. Looking at the clock she took in a few shallow breaths to quell the feeling that she was going to be sick. She was tired of this happening every day for the past few weeks.

"Casche sugar," Summer told him, tapping his arm as she slid off the dresser. He glanced at the clock. Six o'clock like clockwork. Summer was going to throw up again. He let go of her and she quickly walked from the room.

"So getting back on topic does anyone want to take on getting a caterer?" Bria asked trying not to think of how many women Casche had seduced in the bed she was now lying on.

"Sure you can't convince Summer? She's a great cook," Tony added. Casche shook his head thinking that she wouldn't be up for much of anything soon.

"Why wouldn't we handle the food ourselves?" Trix questioned.

"I don't want to get stuck with cleaning duty," Bria replied to nodded agreements by the women in the room. Summer returned to her seat next to Casche on the dresser, her face scrubbed free of makeup, no longer looking sick but tired just the same.

"What did I miss?" Summer asked.

"Nothing really. You know of a caterer?" Junior answered. She shook her head.

"Gigi, do you have a budget for the decorations yet?" Bria continued scanning her notes. Casche looked over at his cousin, happy that she hadn't sat on his bed, excited that his feelings were no longer wrapped up in her. The leg under his hand stiffened.

Gigi stared back at the blonde sitting next to her 'dangerous' cousin, "Relaxed, tasteful, understated is going to run us about two g's."

"Two thousand dollars? What the hell for," Jessie asked incredulous.

"Twinkle lights don't hang themselves pumpkin," Ryan laughed.

"Shit, I'll hang them for two thousand bones," Jessie grumbled.

"You seem to be obsessing about money a lot lately," Tony told the boy.

"I really started harassing my dad about a car lately," Jessie countered. There were murmurs of understanding from the group.

"Are you sick or pregnant?" Nikki called out, startling the group. Summer gave her a sideways glance.

"Sick. Gall bladder malfunction most likely," Summer told her. Nikki raised an eyebrow in disbelief, and Junior's mouth dropped open.

"It's not a big deal. She's going to the doctor next week," Casche added.

Summer bounced eagerly next to him, "I'm hoping to have surgery to remove it lapriscopically."

"Really? That's so cool. You'll barely have a scar after," Bria piped up clearly interested in the procedure, "And your recovery should be much quicker than traditional surgery."

"Ahem," Trix coughed, "how long have you had this 'malfunction'?" Trix had used her fingers to air quote the last word.

"A few weeks," Summer smiled, "and before you go off the deep end, my mamma and nana had the same problems too when they were my age."

"They have any babies around that same time?" Ryan teased. Gigi gave him an uncharacteristic sharp look. Summer started staring at Gigi again, shaking her head. Casche took another pull from his now warm beer.

"Anybody hungry?" Casche asked changing the subject. He'd made Summer take a test the first day she threw up so they knew she wasn't pregnant. There was a flurry of activity moving around to get in the kitchen, grab food and meet in his living room.

"Aren't you hungry?" Trix asked Summer suspiciously, the latter not bothering to eat.

"I really need to wash those clothes before I take them to camp tomorrow," she replied with a shake of her head. Casche gave her a long look searching for her sudden willingness to leave but he wasn't willing to ask her to stay in front of everyone. Head tilted to the side, a sad smile on her face, Summer stared into his eyes, "Casche sugar, could you help me carry this to the car?"

There really wasn't much to carry but he hauled it to her car anyway, the summer sun just starting to make its slow decent in the sky. Summer turned to him the moment the basket of clothes were stuffed in the trunk.

"Too tired to stay?" he asked carefully.

"Let me know when you're over her," Summer replied getting into her car to drive away. Casche wished the woman had stayed long enough for him to tell her he already had.

Two weeks later Casche still hadn't told Summer about his non-existent feelings for Georgeanne. Honestly anytime there was an opening to start that conversation he found it much easier to just kiss her senseless which usually led to more strenuous physical activity. Her comment hadn't stopped her from coming around, from being in his space. Instead there was always an excuse for why she couldn't spend the night, why she needed to be at home alone, in her own bed.

Today Casche was going to change that though, his plan to have her to spend a lazy evening in bed watching TV was already in action. Air conditioning set to sixty five meant they were curled up together under the covers instead of out in the living room like they had been for the past two weeks. Fingers intertwined they let the movements on the screen keep up conversation for them. He wanted her to pass out here, get so comfortable that she wouldn't want to leave. He softly nuzzled his nose in her hair pressing them closer, feeling satisfaction when she shifted to push her back even snugger against his front.

"So you never told me what the doctor said," he whispered lightly, pretending that he wasn't really trying to feel her up. He could feel her heave a big sigh.

"I won't need surgery," she told him in a flat voice.

"Hmmm," he returned absently, "you don't sound happy."

"I think I would have preferred surgery."

Casche chuckled sliding away so he could roll her on her back, "Normal people don't like being cut open."

"Casche sugar, I'm having your baby," Summer pouted before she levied a slap on his arm, "Stop laughing at me."

"Didn't we just finish saying you weren't? I thought you weren't," Casche said between guffaws. He didn't feel he could control himself.

"I guess its real funny when you aren't the one throwing up," Summer pretended to pout but her lips were smiling in the corners.

"So how much time do we have?"

"Seven months."

Casche looked down into her eyes looking for any artifice in her answer to his next question, "You want to marry me?"

"No," she shook her head, "It's not required."

"Let me rephrase, I want to marry you, give our kid a two-parent household." He didn't have to say he wanted to provide his kid with what he didn't have growing up. He wanted something to keep them together.

"When you put it that way," Summer rolled her eyes playfully.

"Nothing big, we can keep it quiet, among family."

"Why not the courthouse?"

"Aren't you supposed to be demanding some sort of frilly ceremony?"

Summer grinned, "Aren't you supposed to balk over us having an unplanned baby?"

He placed his hand possessively over her stomach, shaking his head, "Never."

"Then let's not make a fuss." And they didn't. A week later Casche had convinced Trix and Junior to come them to the courthouse to witness their union. Summer signed her last name one more time that day, Casche happily giving her his last name instead. There was only one thing that tickled the back of his mind.

"Who is Trisha Harris?" Casche asked his sister as they left the courthouse to go to lunch.

"It's a long, complicated story," Trix told him in her resigned voice. The way she looked told him that she wasn't ready to share that information yet.

"So can we tell people or is this a secret," Junior ribbed.

"Not a secret, no," Summer hedged looking for Casche to set the parameters on his news.

"It's not a big deal," he added noticing that Trix's face got tense next to him.

"Yeah people do it _all_ the time," Trix added sourly rolling her eyes.

"Not in this family," Junior joked under his breath. They all laughed, some more darkly than others.


	16. Matters pt 1

**Disclaimer: **Don't own. Don't sue. Thanks!

**Matters (pt 1)**

Her leg moved fluidly across the skin of the person sitting next to her. The action had been practiced so often, used for so long, that it came involuntarily. She knew she'd made an impression when she heard the small intake of breath, the minute pause before responding to a question asked by another one of the partygoers. The cool jazz washing over them might have masked the sound to others, but not to her. Confidently she moved her fingers to gently sweep her full, long brown hair out of her face. A waiter paused with fresh glasses of champagne which she quickly plucked two stems. Her offer to her neighbor on the couch was accepted, the thin glass removed from her fingers. Light grey eyes and hazel ones shared glance. There were more comments around them. Someone gave a controlled laugh which was seconded by the crowd around them.

"Ie ni kaeritai desu," _I want to go home _she whispered seductively getting another shiver in response. Her prey didn't understand what she was saying but the tone of voice implied the words all the same. It didn't take long. It never did. Drinks were downed in one swallow. There was no need to make farewells. The sounds of the jazz faded as they walked, arms intertwined, to catch a cab outside the club. The cabbie got an eyeful on the ten minute ride to her house. The kissing was drawn out, eliciting eager moans and the occasional hissed 'yes'. Hands dug into hair, drawing each of the participants closer until they were almost one person rather than two.

Impatiently they didn't wait for change. The doorman tipped his hat, the sight meeting his eyes not abnormal for the resident of this high rise. The ride to the twentieth floor was too short to do more than remove a belt. She didn't fumble with the key in the lock. She was too accustomed to the feelings coursing through her. This wasn't new. The hands on her thighs didn't stop her as she pushed through the door to the apartment. For a moment the hands stilled, taking in the grand proportions of the hallway, getting a glimpse of the entire wall taken up by glass. The door was slammed closed, the lock thrown, and hands grasped again. She took the lead, traversing the hallway to the stairs. They led down into another hallway and then her bedroom, the floor to ceiling windows here covered by thick curtains. She twirled her companion away from her, satisfied at the sound of her quarry tumbling to the bed. The curtains were opened, the gossamer fabric left behind lightly filtering the moonlight. There was the soft plunk of shoes, the snick of zippers coming undone, the slide of fabric against fabric, the barely audible crinkle as it fell to the carpet. She crawled above her lover, the kisses here slow.

"Junbi dekite imasu ka?"_Are you ready?_ The question was met with a kiss. After that there was no more coherent talk.

"And you just let her do whatever she wants!" A woman's shouts traveled down the short hallway. The door to the room was flung open, the woman's steps not halting at the sight of the two naked bodies lying prone on the bed. The woman smacked the brunette on the ass. There was an irate groan in response.

"Se réveiller!" _Wake up!_ The shout woke the redhead lying on the opposite side of the bed. Brown eyes now wide, she started fumbling for her clothes, the woman throwing them at her. Her shoes were thrown out the bedroom door, barely missing the man leaning casually against the doorframe. The brunette didn't bother to move. The woman levied more slaps on her legs.

"Avez-vous de les mettre ici?" _Do you have to bring them here?_ The blows started coming faster. Finally unable to pretend that she couldn't feel what was happening to her, she sat up quickly, grabbing the older woman's hands.

"Mère! Assez!" _Mother! Enough!_ She pushed her mother away, letting her feet meet the floor. Unashamed at her nakedness, the brunette crossed over to her walk-in closet. Her mother followed.

"Je suis fatigué de cette Georgeanne." _I'm tired of this Georgeanne_. Georgeanne appeared from the closet, a pair of cotton shorts and a spaghetti tank on. She moved to the bathroom not bothering with the door. The faucet was turned, water not drowning out the woman's continued tirade.

"Les femmes! Toujours des femmes!" _Women! Always women!_ She started washing her face, the cleanser giving a slight sting when it touched her skin.

"_Cette obsession a assez duré." This obsession has gone on long enough._ She moved from washing her face to brushing her teeth.

"Vous êtes si belle. Et vous perdre sur ces ..."_ You are so beautiful. And you waste it on these… _The woman waved her hands dramatically in the air. Georgeanne stared at herself, her light grey eyes looking for blemishes. She found none.

"Vous pouvez avoir un homme à l'extrémité de vos doigts. Pourtant, vous perdez votre amour sur les tartes." _You can have a man at the tip of your fingers. Yet you waste your love on tarts. _She brushed her long brown hair out, taking care with the parts that had been tangled by her lover's eager hands. Feeling that she didn't want to give her mother an easy target she quickly pulled it into a haphazard bun before walking past her and up the stairs.

The man was waiting for them in the kitchen. He'd come upstairs to let the highly embarrassed redhead out of the apartment and to remove himself from the one-woman shouting fiesta down below. He knew it would eventually find him, as they always did. He didn't look up from the morning paper lying open on the kitchen island he was currently perched at. Georgeanne walked past him, opening the fridge for her daily yogurt. She paused for a spoon then propped herself against the counter near him to read over his shoulder.

Her mother stood in the doorway, hands on hips, staring daggers at her daughter. "Je t'interdis de continuer comme ça. Pas plus les rapports sexuels occasionnels. Comprendre?" _I forbid you to continue on like this. No more casual sex. Understand?_

"Merde! Je suis fait. Se taire." _Shit!_ _I am done. Shut up._ Georgeanne finally gave up. She walked over to kiss her mother's cheek lightly in an act of submission. Her mother slapped her arm gently.

"Je ne peux pas croire que vous avez l'audace de me baiser les lèvres avec votre sale,"_I can't believe you dare to kiss me with your filthy lips _her mother chastised with less heat. The argument was over, at least for now. Georgeanne returned to her position, resuming her slow breakfast consumption. Her mother hadn't noticed that she hadn't promised anything.

"Bijin. Atarashii gaaru furendo?" _Beautiful girl. New girlfriend?_ the man asked casually, referring to the redhead.

"English," the woman chided, taking a seat opposite the pair. He raised his eyebrow slightly. Noël. Her name meant Christmas. But he'd never met a woman less like Christmas in his life. She was tough in her own way. She'd had to learn the hard way on the runways in Tokyo, Milan, and Paris. When they'd met she'd been eighteen: young but less than naïve. Still he'd impressed her with his quiet, mysterious demeanor. She's spent her last night in Tokyo with him, neither suspecting that she carried with her the memento that was currently licking yogurt off her spoon. At forty-one Noël no longer modeled. She spent most of her time as assistant director of some self-absorbed modeling agency in Paris. Between her life and her work, this made her hyper critical of her daughter. Thankfully she rarely expelled enough energy to hop a plane out to wherever they were currently residing. And she hated LA so the move here six years ago had reduced her visits with Georgeanne to spring and Christmas breaks, when she could fly her daughter to Paris.

Noël had surprised them when she called to schedule time to visit. Several of the agency's new models had landed jobs in a big fashion show in LA. Since she was coming to chaperone she figured she would stay with them for those three days so they could enjoy each other's company. It really had been a covert operation to get Georgeanne to ditch LA and become a model in Paris. But it hadn't worked the way she had expected. The twenty-three year old beauty wasn't interested in anything more than her work as an interior designer, her family here, and being as much of a womanizer as her father had been in his prime.

She wouldn't bow to her mother's wishes that were often screamed at full volume in French, which he didn't know how to speak. So Noël almost exclusively conversed in it with their daughter, a tactic started when GiGi was young. Since he and his daughter had lived out her school years in Japan, they naturally spoke Japanese, which Noël didn't understand. Han shook his head. He should have known she'd have the audacity to ask them to speak in the language familiar to all of them, hating to be out of the loop. He was glad Noël was flying out tonight.

"No just some _tart_ from accounting," Georgeanne answered sarcastically rolling her eyes. She turned to point her spoon at her mother, "She'll never help me with my expense reports now."

"I am so glad she is gone," Georgeanne told her father as she waved to Noël who was now past the checkpoint. He smiled to himself. Georgeanne liked the fact that he wasn't micromanaging her life. Han would appreciate the return to normalcy at the penthouse.

"You could have suspended your sexual exploits for three days," he told her calmly as they walked back through the terminal.

"Gizensha," _hypocrite_ she told him, "did you?"

"Does it count if I wasn't caught?"

Georgeanne shrugged. She'd been caught doing a lot worse by him. They got into Han's latest toy, a refurbished roadster, speeding off down the highway on their way to freedom from her mother's tyranny.

* * *

"So he married her," Georgeanne said slowly, each word carrying adrenaline to her heart.

"What's in the box?" Bria asked eagerly plopping on the floor of Georgeanne's walk-in closet a week later.

"It's from Noël," Georgeanne shrugged sitting on the edge of the chaise near Nikki's feet. Bria started opening the box.

Trix stopped fishing through the jewelry long enough to throw Georgeanne a pitying glance, "You hadn't noticed?"

Georgeanne shook her head. No she hadn't noticed that Casche had married his girlfriend Summer. She'd been really focused on the fact that the two were procreating. Casche didn't seem like the marrying type to her and she would have expected him to stay firmly in bachelorhood like his father Vince.

Bria pulled a white skimpy one-piece bathing suit out of the box. It had a gold hoop holding linking the strip that led to the bottom half of the suit to the two halves that were designed to cover the breasts. "Wow, this is hot," Bria breathed in awe.

"Well the news is a century shocker," Nikki added to the marriage discussion. Casche seemed like too much of a bad ass to ever do something as mundane as getting married and having kids.

"Is it really? People do it all the time. It's not that much of a big deal," Bria supplied distractedly pulling out another bathing suit, this one teal with large stones sewn onto the small band that comprised the top. The stomach part was bared but there was one strip down the left side that connected the brief bottoms to it. Trix frowned to herself.

"I wish people would stop saying that," Trix mumbled under her breath.

"It's true," Georgeanne said thinking, "but the rate for this family is pretty low."

"Valid point," Nikki agreed thinking of the tally. Out of the older crowd only Bria's parents, Mia and Brian, and Jessie's parents, Leon and Jenna, were married. And of their group Casche was the first and only one married.

The third suit was a black halter top, two strips covering the breasts and converging in the middle of the suit to cover the lower half, a large gold buckle in the middle near the belly where it kept the pieces together. Bria took her time fingering this suit.

Georgeanne sighed, "I think I'm most scandalized that he loves someone that much."

"Someone other than you, you mean," Bria announced absently. Georgeanne pondered the blonde girl's words for a moment, letting it sink in. It was true Casche had harbored lustful feelings for her but it was something that the two of them hadn't mentioned in the six years she'd been in the states. It was something that she was going to miss, the tension that flared between them whenever they got together. She'd seen it dissipating over time as he started bringing Summer into the fold. It was the first time in her life that someone who'd shown a marked interest in her had willingly pulled away. Georgeanne was selfish enough to know that she would miss his extra attention and affection even though they never would have acted on it.

"Wait, are you jealous?" Trix asked turning to stare at Georgeanne's face again. It was obvious that up until Summer her brother had harbored a large crush on the beautiful brunette.

"My vanity is damaged, not my heart," Georgeanne replied nonchalantly. Bria pulled out the final suit its tangerine strips crisscrossing over the bodice to provide the most coverage out of all of them. However the back was still out and snippets of skin would most likely be visible through the pattern in the front.

"Oh wow, these are…" Bria started.

"Skimpy," Trix interrupted.

"Non-existent," Nikki supplied.

"I did ask Noël to send me one-piece suits this year," Georgeanne mused.

Bria grinned, "I'm going to use that in my defense when I get caught borrowing one."

"You want to borrow one of those to wear at your pool party thing next week?" Trix asked in awe.

"Tony and Ryan are going to love that," Nikki said sarcastically.

Georgeanne smiled her wicked sultry smile, "Actually we're each going to wear one. And the black one's mine."

"Excuse me?" Nikki blurted out.

Bria squealed, "Which one's mine?"

Georgeanne pointed to the white one. "Teal's for Trix and tangerine is for Nikki," Georgeanne explained.

"I'm not wearing that," Trix said vehemently. She didn't show her body, correction, she hadn't shown her tattoos to anyone in LA. She'd left her exhibitionism in Vegas.

"Oh come on, it will be fun. And these suits are so hot," Bria crooned.

"So you want us to commit mass suicide," Nikki said shaking her head. Georgeanne laughed. "Oh come on Bria, you know that's what's coming to us when we get caught in those strips of fabric."

"No one's going to flip," Bria countered.

"The hell you say. _I'm_ flipping," Trix grumbled.

"Would it help if I let you borrow jewelry too?" Georgeanne asked having fun. Nikki tapped her lightly in the back with her foot.

"Maybe not your parents Bria but you do realize that my dad has a very short temper," Nikki mused, "and so does Trix's for that matter."

"Stop, I can't hear your negativity anymore," Bria said holding up her hand. Trix looked like she wanted to say something but Bria cut across her too, "I'm not entertaining anything other than these suits on your bodies at my pool next weekend."

"Give up. It will be fun," Georgeanne teased but she could have sworn she heard Trix mutter under her breath that Bria never mentioned that they couldn't wear something over the suit.

The following Saturday turned out to be a perfect day for the O'Connor pool party. It was sunny, blue skies, no cloud cover. Unnaturally amiable for a summer day in LA. Georgeanne lay on a lounge chair situated in a prime corner of the back yard. She faced the back of the house so she could see who was coming and going, view the activity in the pool, keep an eye on the grill and food area, check out most of the traffic. There were tons of people here today, not just family. Employees from Uncle Brian's auto supply store with their family, Tony's law buddies with their significant others, the girls from Toretto's Café with friends, Bria's college chums, and a smattering of the whole family's old friends from the neighborhood.

"Sweet suit Gigi," Ryan noted coming to sit at the edge of her chair. He tapped her toe with the bottom of his beer bottle. Georgeanne barely moved her head, her eyes able to wander under her large Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses that matched her gold chandelier earrings and necklace set.

"You want to borrow it?"

"Maybe next time," Ryan said idly, "I don't know why you bothered. Are you even going to swim?"

"Too early to tell."

"This is an awesome vantage point," he continued on looking around slowly, his eyes finding the couple that had spurred his visit to Gigi in the first place. He watched Casche and Summer sitting on the opposite side of the pool, almost directly in Gigi's head on view. They weren't overly demonstrative but it was clear that the two were together by their close proximity and the way he was constantly orienting himself to her, overly aware of where she was at any given moment. "Gigi, what's your deal?"

"I don't follow," Georgeanne answered, being purposely evasive. For some reason Summer irked her nerves. But Georgeanne attributed it to her vanity, not really understanding how the other woman could have worked her way into Casche's heart. She certaintly wasn't prettier than her. For the first time someone else was making her examine herself. What did this woman have that Georgeanne didn't? Oh yeah, the blond was straight. Georgeanne smiled feeling better at last. There should be no reason for her to feel pissed that Casche had moved on. It wasn't like she wanted to sleep with him rather she missed the comfort his attention brought.

"You never showed interest in him before. Why would you do it now?" Gigi's motivations had been bothering Ryan ever since that meeting at Casche's apartment where they had discussed the man's bed. The silent territorial grunge match between Gigi and Summer had thrown him for a loop, especially considering that up until the other woman had started coming around Gigi had ignored Casche's feelings for her completely.

"You're blocking my view," Georgeanne replied.

"You're changing the subject."

"Oh can I suggest a topic?" Trix asked sitting down on the empty chaise on their right. She was wearing shorts and t-shirt over the teal bathing suit, her hair pulled into a high ponytail so she could show off the gold and teal hooped earrings that matched a chunky bracelet on her left arm and an oversized ring on her right hand. Ryan nodded. "Who are these people and why should I care?"

Georgeanne laughed but Ryan launched into a quick explanation. Letting her eyes scan the yard, she took in their parents sitting close to the grill, shooting the breeze. Ryan broke off mid-sentence, drawing her attention to the sliding glass door that led to the kitchen. Georgeanne smiled at the sight of Bria in her white bathing suit, blond hair twisted fancily to slightly cascade down her back from an upside down pony tail. She'd worn large gold hooped earrings, white heeled sandals borrowed from Georgeanne's closet, and large white sunglasses. Ignoring the gazes on her, Bria made her way around towards their spot with an equally made up Nikki by her side. Nikki's complexion set off the tangerine suit perfectly, which she had paired up with onyx accessories: the heeled sandals, the earrings that looked like little flowers, the matching petal necklace lying right above her breasts. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun, most likely in defiance of Bria since she was clearly wearing the suit.

"Where's your suit Trix?" Bria said in a business like tone.

"Where's your suit Bria?" Ryan snapped at her going into big brother mode.

"Same place Gigi's is," Bria replied cagily.

"Don't give me that. Go put on something else," Ryan scowled, "And you too Nikki."

Nikki looked pleased at the response even though her back had gone tense with the commanding tone.

"Give it a rest bro," Bria said dismissing him as she tugged Trix up, "You're not defying me on this one."

Trix gave her cousin an exasperated look, "I wore it here. I never said that I was going to take my clothes off."

"Come on Trix, no excuses. Nikki will tell you, it's futile to argue with me," Bria continued nonplussed. The pair stared at each other, neither willing to back down on the issue. Ryan cleared his throat.

"Trix is the only one of you with some sense. Go put something on Bria," he started again. Bria ignored him and Nikki sat down in Trix's vacant seat.

"If I have to be naked, so do you," Nikki pouted, pulling her legs up to her chest to watch the staring contest. Georgeanne watched the door open again, this time Tony and an unfamiliar guy walked towards them. The stranger had his hair cropped so short it could never be gripped by fingers and a megawatt smile that grew as he got closer to their group.

"Bria, what the hell do you have on?" Tony called out making Bria jump. She scowled at him.

"Don't start. Frick over here has complained plenty," she told her brother dryly, pointing a thumb at Ryan.

"Obviously not enough if you're still wearing that," Tony ground out. Bria rolled her eyes. Trix's gaze stayed fixed on the stranger, her mouth oddly slack.

"Hi Trisha," he said giving her a warm look. He looked Trix over in a way that was cataloging the changes in someone familiar.

"Who told you to come here?" Trix ground out.

"No one."

"I don't want to see you. Leave," she told him sharply.

"I will but I didn't come to see you." Trix looked confused, her body posture tight, stressed.

"Then why are you here?" Georgeanne asked flippantly. She didn't know what was going on, just that her cousin wasn't comfortable with the smiling man. Tony seemed like he was more aware of what was going on than the rest of them.

"This was the address I had for her lawyer," the man explained quietly.

"Cory stop…" Trix rushed out.

"Stop what? You've made it clear. Everyone knows right?"

Trix shook her head looking frustrated. She brushed past him and started walking towards the house. He followed grabbing her elbow to turn her. "Why are you walking away from me?"

"Back up," she hissed through her teeth. He let go of her elbow and she turned to walk away again. This time he grabbed the hem of her shirt. She struggled and he tugged laughing.

"Trisha, stop."

"Can we please not do this here?" Trisha begged.

"Why not? I was hoping to make this public declaration to your lawyer but the crowd works too," he smiled pulling her closer, slipping his hands under her shirt. Ryan got up to grab the guy but Trix pushed him back. It would have worked well except he still had hold of her shirt, pulling it over her head exposing her upper body to the assembly. They both struggled for a moment, Cory looking pleased at coming away with Trix's shirt. Casche and Vince were already on their way around the pool, their menacing faces on. Georgeanne was impressed the Simmons' men hadn't stormed over immediately when the stranger had grabbed Trix the first time.

"You ready to listen yet?" Cory asked, all smiles now.

"Can I have my shirt please?" Trix asked in a panic.

"When I finish," he told her.

"No, give it to her now," Vince snarled at the guy. Trix noticed her dad and brother standing on the edge of the pool, their expressions saying they wanted to beat the crap out of the guy.

"Do you want to live?" Trix asked hastily.

"Do you want me to live?" he countered. She frowned crossing her arms over her chest.

"Do what you want. You did in Vegas."

"I didn't force you to do anything…"

"I know. But I want to fix my mistakes. Why won't you just let me fix 'em!"

"I'm trying. I just think that you're trying to fix them the wrong way," he said balling the shirt up to toss into her hands. Bria caught it instead. He walked towards Bria but Casche shifted to move in front of her.

"Don't touch her again," Casche said in a low menacing tone.

Georgeanne casually slipped her legs off the lounge chair, slipping her feet into her gold heeled sandals. Standing she strutted over to put a hand on Casche's shoulder, leaning against his side to whisper in his ear. "Back off. She's a Simmons. She can handle him." Casche gave her a dirty look which she ignored to grab Trix's hand. Georgeanne pointed at the man still staring at her cousin, "Come with me." Not bothering to look back she heard the shifting of bodies displaced as Cory push past the assembly of angry men to follow them around the side of the house.

"I suggest that you two work out your problem quickly before things get violent," Georgeanne told them. She turned to leave but Trix held fast to her hand, shaking her head that she didn't want her cousin to leave. Cory didn't seem put off by it.

"Trisha, I know you think I used you, that you were just an innocent score for me. But it was never like that for me. I love you."

"Did you feel that way before or after your girlfriend left you?" Trix asked shrewdly.

"There's only one Mrs. Harris. Figure it out for yourself."

"Arrg! Don't call me that," she said in agony.

"It's true. And I don't want you to give the name back either."

"Cory, this is insane. I barely know you."

"That's a lie. You know all the important shit."

"Yes," Trix drawled sarcastically, "your jacket size, drinking preferences, and occupational quirks."

"Be reasonable," he said in a placating tone.

"I am! As Felix pointed out, I didn't even know my own last name until I had my lawyer dig it up to file the paperwork."

"So does anyone in your family think marriage is worth mentioning?" Georgeanne asked slyly. She couldn't resist.

"I didn't think I'd be married this long actually," Trix said honestly fed up.

Cory rolled his eyes, "You disappeared before we could get it annulled."

"But you won't sign the papers now."

"Yes, that's smart. Gee, I'll sign papers to release myself from the woman I actually want," he said sarcastically, "I wanted your lawyer to understand why I couldn't sign. And instead I've emasculated myself in front of at least seventy people. Can I get a break?"

"Sure. Casche is more than willing to give it to you," Trix said but with less heat. She looked ready to cry.

"I want to work things out Trisha. Until we try, I refuse to sign," Cory told her, coming to grasp her face in his hands. She pushed him with her free hand and he smiled sadly, leaving Georgeanne and Trix alone. Trix took several deep breaths to dry her eyes.

"Okay. You're going to flaunt then explain all of your tattoos, starting with this one," Georgeanne said, running her fingers over the girl's right side to trace a little woman inked there, arm, hand, and a bit of hair disappearing beneath the band of the swimsuit in the front, other parts of her covered by the continuation of the bathing suit band in the back. They sauntered back to Georgeanne's seat which was now occupied by Vince, Casche, and Summer and Ryan. Nikki, Junior, Jessie, and Bria were sitting on the other and Tony was standing to wait for their return.

"Come on Tony, we've heard this story already," Georgeanne told him, intertwining their arms, "I'm thirsty."

* * *

Georgeanne considered for the twelfth time that maybe she was starting to get tired of partying. Things had felt ok when she had dressed in her dark blue skinny jeans, the silky mint green top hanging off one shoulder, her heels tonight modest height but perfectly matching the top. Her hair was hanging loose around her face tonight, her makeup impeccable, lips kissable. She knew she looked great but she didn't feel great. Instead circling the room was tedious, the thought of securing another woman to share her bed unappealing. All because of her sudden interest in the love lives of her married cousins. Well one in particular really.

"So who's playing tonight?" Ryan asked as she approached her male cousins. They were all holding beers and looking extremely comfortable as the party raged on around them.

"Count me out," Tony said. Ryan smiled at his twin making a sound like a cracking whip. Tony punched him lightly in the arm.

"How about you Junior?" Ryan offered. Junior shook his head making Ryan shrug, "Well it's just you and me Gigi since Casche is automatically out."

Georgeanne didn't want to play the game tonight, finding the hottest woman in the place to sleep with felt like it wouldn't be worth the prize tonight. Eyes flickering to take in Casche's profile she realized that his ability to move on was starting to affect her feelings. His commitment to Summer was really bothering her more than she should have let it. Draping an arm on Ryan's shoulder she said in a bored tone, "So who's the lucky winner tonight?"

Ryan nodded at a tall blonde in a short silver dress standing close to the glass wall. Mischa. She looked like she could be clingy but she was also undeniably beautiful. Georgeanne nodded.

"You want a head start?" Ryan asked her.

"No. I'll give you ten minutes. Good luck." Ryan nudged her before making his way across the room. She noticed that Bria, Nikki, and Trix were having fun dancing near the kitchen. It was good to see Nikki getting back to her normal self.

"What's up with you tonight?" Tony asked her, noticing that Georgeanne wasn't even drinking wine or champagne tonight, opting for what smelled like rum and coke, heavy on the rum side. Rather than respond she downed the drink in two more swallows then stalked over to Ryan and Mischa.

"Mischa, that is such a cute dress," Georgeanne told her conversationally sliding her hand half way up the woman's dress to caress her inner thigh. Mischa's eyes met hers in desire, her tongue sweeping to moisten her lips. Yep, it was too easy. Ryan looked impressed when she grabbed the blonde's hand, leading her to the stairs, "I have the perfect shoes for you to try."

Normally Georgeanne liked to finesse her quarry but she really didn't feel like it tonight. Instead she let Mischa push her on the bed immediately then crawl on top. They kissed and fondled for a few minutes but Georgeanne couldn't really get into it. Pushing the girl gently off her Georgeanne sat up.

"What's wrong?" Mischa asked silkily. Georgeanne didn't have an answer, not one that made any sense anyway.

"Me. I had too much to drink," she lied to spare the girl's feelings, "Rain check?"

Mischa smiled mischievously, "Definitely."

"Enjoy the party. I'll be up in a minute." They walked to the bedroom door, kissing slowly again before Georgeanne lightly tapped the blonde on the behind to shoo her up the stairs. Sighing heavily she walked into her bathroom to wash her face before moving to the closet to reapply makeup. There wasn't going to be a way around this. Working out her hang up over Casche's waning affections for her would have to happen first. It didn't make sense. Up until this point in her life she'd never been attracted to a man and what she felt wasn't really attraction either. In the last six years she'd come to depend on Casche's attention, lived in comfort knowing that that at least one person would want her faults and all. She never had to make excuses for her behavior with him or tailor herself to fit into his life. They'd just naturally oriented themselves around each other.

Selfishly she wouldn't have minded if he'd stuck to the status quo. Each of them sleeping with other people but knowing deep down that he harbored deep love for her. She loved him too in her own way, cared for him enough not to really want him to suffer. Georgeanne had been careful to keep her distance so she wouldn't inadvertently make things more difficult for him, her flirtatious nature so natural that sexual touch was more comfortable for her than platonic hugs. She wondered if he could know how pleased she was when he asked her to decorate his apartment a couple years back. She'd worked so hard to make his space a place where he could feel comfortable and yet she couldn't resist leaving a bit of herself there too. If Casche was going to have sex there he should have enough space to really seduce a woman, even if it would never be her, so she made sure he had a larger than life bed. The chocolate color of his walls and grey fabrics of the curtains had been chosen to be both masculine and yet appealing to a woman.

It was cruel that one woman would end up spending more time in that apartment than Georgeanne would have expected. Summer, the blonde school teacher. Georgeanne recalled the first time he'd brought her to the penthouse, had seen how she was slowly eating away at the hold Georgeanne had on him. He'd let Summer distract him, make him later than usual for things, pull him away from her. He was protective, constantly touching the other woman, laying his claim.

Summer had noticed Casche was in-tune with Georgeanne from that first meeting, had noticed the way had tensed at the women's accidental touch. It had made Summer wary of Georgeanne. They didn't really spend time together but each of their subsequent meetings was filled with tension. Georgeanne had held his heart for a lot longer than Summer had, but Summer had won out in the end. And Summer seemed to know deep down how Georgeanne really felt about that bedroom in Casche's apartment, the knowledge making her feel exposed. And now they were procreating and he was settling into married life and the pain in her heart was hurting her. Georgeanne sighed heavily to herself again. She wasn't used to feelings of jealousy or rejection. The two together were overwhelming, especially because there was nothing she could do about it.

"You coming back upstairs?" the familiar scratchy voice called out. Georgeanne sat up from her position on the bed to look at Casche lying casually with his back on the glass wall. A glance at the clock told her she'd been down here at least forty minutes thinking. Stretching she stood slipping her feet into her heels and giving her hair a few tosses to make it presentable. Rather than answer she walked towards her bedroom door. Flipping off the light switch left the room feebly lit by the light of a lamp strategically placed in the corner near her bed. Noticing Casche hadn't bothered to move she walked over to stand beside him, bracing her hands on the glass to support her while she looked out at the skyline. They stood in silence, both turning their heads to look at one another.

Georgeanne wondered if he was expecting her to say something, start up a conversation but she didn't know what to say. She hadn't felt dumbfounded, like she had a crush on anyone, since she was fifteen. It was disconcerting to feel her pulse start to gallop, her breathing start to hitch. This had never happened with a man. This was messed up. Now that he couldn't care less she had to develop jacked up feelings for him, desired to know what Summer was getting, what she was missing out on. The battle of wills was getting them nowhere. She pushed away from the glass intent on grabbing his hand in the familiar gesture she normally used to get people to follow her but instead she placed her hand on his shoulder, cupping the back of his neck. Licking her lips she stepped forward and tilted her face up to kiss him. For a moment she didn't think he was going to kiss her back but then she felt his tongue sweep across her lips. Without meaning to they deepened the kiss, his head bending to aid them, his hand sliding into her hair to angle her head. The intensity jumped up and Georgeanne felt her legs getting weak so she leaned into him, her free hand coming to rest on his peck which jumped involuntarily. She didn't know what she expected when he let his fingers release her head and trail to her shoulder, but his grip once there was pushing her away. He ended the kiss quickly but didn't do anything make any other move to get away or talk.

For the first time Georgeanne wanted to jump a man's bones. Not any man though. She wanted Casche. But she felt ashamed too. _'Why now?'_ Before he could ask her any questions she couldn't answer Georgeanne sprinted upstairs to rejoin the party, determined to return her equilibrium with a very large rum and coke. Three glasses and twenty minutes later she was feeling much better, and more than a little tipsy. Hard liquor wasn't really her thing. She wove through the crowd, finding Junior sitting with a group of guys discussing cars.

Junior noticed that Georgeanne wasn't really steady on her feet when she paused to brace her hand on his shoulder. "Neru jikan," _Bed time _she leaned over mumbling in Japanese into his ear.

"This is a first," he told her grinning not understanding what she was saying. She pouted, holding out a hand to him. Feeling that his night couldn't get weirder he took it. They went to her room together and lay quietly in the dark. He wondered if she even knew that he could feel her crying.

"So who is she?" Han asked his daughter curled up in his lap. Georgeanne wasn't usually this clingy.

"You have girl problems Gigi?" Leon asked her from his seat at the Toretto's picnic table Sunday afternoon.

"Sure, why not," Georgeanne responded closing her eyes. She was still tired from the night before and feeling even worse for her behavior the previous night. It just confused everything.

"You get your heart broken or something?" Brian asked with a grin. That couldn't be possible the girl was the epitome of player. Gigi shrugged even though she was rattled by his close assessment.

"Or not getting any play," Ryan responded with a laugh. He'd been feeling smug ever since he took Mischa back to her apartment last night.

"You'd know," Gigi threw back before whispering to Han, "Daku Otōsan." _Hug Dad. _He hadn't heard those words in a very long time from his daughter. Carefully he rubbed her back. Nikki and Bria walked outside to join the group assembled at the picnic table. Bria's wide smile seemed to float off her face when Casche and Summer strolled around the corner of the driveway to join them.

"Excellent, we were just talking about you," Bria told them. Georgeanne felt her insides squirm as the hand-holding couple came to sit at the end of the table next to her and Han.

"Oh?" Summer queried in interest. Georgeanne watched as Casche put an arm around the blonde's waist, her nerves now on edge.

Nikki rolled her eyes, "As if we didn't have enough shit planned…"

Bria cut across Nikki, "You should have a baby shower."

"Uh huh," Summer said noncommittally.

Brian chuckled putting his hands behind his head, "Here we go."

"We haven't had one in a long time," Bria said.

"And we better not again for a _very_ long time," Ryan directed to his sister menacingly.

Trix joined them, "What did I miss?"

"Preganancy roll call," Leon supplied.

Trix shook her head, "I am a baby free zone. Have you seen how stretched… Never mind."

Casche laughed at his sister, the sound making Georgeanne uncurl herself from Han's lap and seek out Junior. Suddenly she just wanted to lie down, wanted to curl up under her covers. So he hadn't felt anything, no awkwardness or remorse. Walking into the kitchen she felt like she wanted to fall apart.

"Where's Junior?"

"He's still downstairs," Letty answered giving her a piercing look. Those two had walked in a half-hour ago, Junior in the clothes he'd left in the night before. And Gigi was acting out of character, almost vulnerable. Not able to disguise her desire to escape, Georgeanne didn't talk to Mia, Jenna, Tony and a law friend of his Alicia. She traversed the stairs, making her way to the door on the right, not bothering to knock.

Junior was standing chest bare in his jeans searching through a drawer for a t-shirt. He gave her a sideways glance before he continued to rummage. She watched him, really trying to catalog the way he looked. His muscles were impressive from a combination of working in the garage and spending time lifting weights. He kept his hair cropped short to his scalp rather than going completely bald like his father Dom. His bronze chest was a combination of his mother's complexion and time spent in the sun. The whole combination was undeniably male, no hint of feminism at all. His mouth curved into a half smile.

"What's the verdict?" Georgeanne shrugged watching him put on his shirt then grab a pair of socks. He sat on the edge of his bed not really paying attention to her. He pushed back on the bed to grab his phone and impulsively she followed him, coming to sit on his legs right above his knees. "Yes?"

"Am I beautiful to you Junior?"

He rolled his eyes, "A guy would have to be a lunatic to think you were anything else."

She smiled seductively licking her lips then began to slowly lower her body so they were inches apart crawling up his body. She paused to breathe close to his neck, "I've been thinking."

Junior didn't move but his body was relaxed. This was unexpected but easy to brush off. Georgeanne didn't really have too many moves that weren't sexual in nature. "I'm not taking you home yet," he warned her.

She laid on top of him their hips flush and her weight settling on him, "Did you know I'm a virgin?"

Junior laughed, "You're so full of shit."

Georgeanne laughed too, "Well I'm a gold star really." Junior raised an eyebrow to ask for an explanation. "I've never had sex with a man before."

He wrapped his arms loosely around her smiling, "Aww. That's sweet."

"Funny." She started trailing her fingers lightly over his chest. "Since you think I'm attractive, let's fix that."

"What?" he teased. Georgeanne put her lips close to his ear and rubbed her body against him suggestively. He rolled her over pulling back from her body abruptly. "Jeez us Gigi, cut it out."

"For an attractive woman I've been oh-for-two in male seduction department."

"Gigi," he told her putting on his shoes, "I'm not going to have sex with you because you want to prove something to yourself and to Casche."

Georgeanne had told Junior about her kiss with Casche and all of her jumbled up feelings this morning. She frowned, "I want to try it."

"You never wanted a man before and now you want to kill your gold status," he said skeptically before muttering under his breath, "I attract all the crazy virgins."

"Think you'll change your mind?" Georgeanne asked calmly. Now that the idea was in her head it made sense. Who else would she test her feelings on? She really couldn't tell if she was becoming attracted to all men or just Casche. And Junior was safe, a good first attempt before she tested the theory on other men.

Junior gave his cousin a funny look. He knew that she wouldn't be swayed easily, "Tell you what. Stay abstinent for a month. If you still want to after clearing your mind then we can discuss it."

"You don't think I can do it," she mused. It would be difficult not giving in to her desire for instant gratification but it could be done.

"I know you can do it," he countered, "You just need to be sure that men in general are what you want. I personally think you like Casche, not the male sex as a whole."

Before Georgeanne could come up with a good reply he threw her over his shoulder, carrying her up the stairs into the kitchen. He let her slide slowly down his body closely, crowded her when she reached for carrot sticks to occupy her mouth, basically invading her space and treating her like she often treated other women. Being in this position was uncomfortable. Pushing past him to go outside she began to breathe a sigh of relief but he smacked her ass hard. Her head whipped around, mouth open and eyes narrowed. All action in the kitchen had stopped to at the sound of the smack. The open palmed smack had stung in addition to being surprisingly overtly male. She knew he was going to play the jerk for the next month trying to get her to slip up or realize that she wasn't turned on by any other man than Casche.

"I'm counting yesterday in my tally. Welcome to day two," she said through gritted teeth. Junior laughed at her feeling that this was going to be a lot of fun for him.

"Hiya Georgeanne," Hannah greeted her, swinging the door to the mansion open to pull Georgeanne into a long hug then a quick open mouthed kiss. Georgeanne felt herself shudder at the contact, resisting the urge to run away in the opposite direction. It was day twenty-one and she was feeling extremely horny. Bria coughed gently and Hannah pulled back to grin at the curly haired woman and a highly entertained fifteen year-old boy. Jessie had tagged along feeling that he should have some sort of task since he wasn't contributing money or most of his brain really. He was going to help Georgeanne with the decorations for the big party.

"These are my cousins, Bria and Jessie. And this is Hannah," Georgeanne made introductions then they followed Hannah around the house, stopping to take measurements. Georgeanne handed Jessie the tape measure while she held the other end so they could measure pillar distances.

Hannah slid behind her, hands crawling up Georgeanne's shirt, "Georgeanne, I've missed you. We've really got to spend more time together to catch up." Georgeanne closed her eyes trying to ignore the blatant invitation. She really wanted to but she was determined to match Junior's battle of wills. It was actually rewarding to count off each day, her mind really clearing up, except at low points like this. Work had sucked today, the redhead from accounting breathing down her neck about her non-existent expense reports that were overdue. Noël's tirade had truly burned that bridge. Bria had insisted on the walkthrough for today but Georgeanne really had to go home and work on all the changes her client had called with last minute. She was hungry, frustrated, and currently being turned on by one of her regular partners. It didn't help that Georgeanne knew how satisfying sex with Hannah would be.

"I know. Work and this party have kept me really busy."

"I can tell. You're so tense babe," she said caressing Georgeanne's shoulders and sides of her breasts, making her hiss. She pulled away, glancing at the tape measure to get a reading so they could leave.

"We really need to run. I'll see you soon?" Georgeanne told Hannah practically shooing Bria and Jessie into the car. The ride to the O'Connor house was twenty minutes of setting her breathing back to normal. She happily jumped out of the car eager to see what Mia had made for dinner. Her aunt was always willing to feed a hungry mouth.

"That was quick," Brian called out to them as the door closed. Flashing the crowd in the living room a quick wave, Georgeanne walked briskly to the kitchen for sustenance. She was rewarded with a plate of lasagna already waiting for her, courtesy of Mia's hands.

"Thanks Aunt Mia," Georgeanne said appreciatively grabbing a stool and sitting at the island. She dug in gratefully savoring the caloric intake.

"Easy there," Junior said coming to bracket her body from behind. Mia shook her head._ 'What was with the men in this family falling for the clearly lesbian girl?'_

"Please let me savor ecstasy in peace," she said without heat between bites of lasagna.

He leaned over her shoulder, "Rough day?"

Georgeanne didn't respond preferring to cling to the last cheesy bite on her fork. He laughed tugging her hair gently. "I think I preferred you pissed off," she muttered dryly.

"I bet."

Mia cleared her throat grabbing the plate so she could throw it in the dishwasher, "So it went well?"

Junior answered quickly, "According to Jessie it was a very hands-on experience."

Georgeanne felt her eye starting to twitch. He was going to make fun of her again. Not tonight, she was done with irritants for the day. "Thanks for dinner Aunt Mia. I'll see you around."

"You're leaving already?" Junior asked trailing her down the hall. She grabbed her abandoned bag at the front door, throwing the door wide to walk outside but he followed her all the way to her car.

"Can I help you?"

"You know you were nicer when you were getting laid," he quipped.

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!" she ground out in agitation. Yep, day twenty-one sucked.

"Boy or girl?" he deadpanned.

Georgeanne angrily grabbed his belt buckle, pulling herself up to plant a long wet kiss on his lips. She didn't feel anything. "Hannah! Hannah, Hannah, Hannah," she chanted when they pulled away. Turning she opened the door to her car, throwing her purse in, the smack on her ass unexpected. "What was that for?"

"Figured it'd be the last time I'd do that," he grinned. Georgeanne saw red as she pushed him then jumped into his arms. He instinctively grabbed her legs and she wrapped them around his waist. This kiss was more practiced, yet powerful. She felt herself looking forward to deepening it, prolonging the contact. Moaning she pressed her breasts closer to him and felt an instant change poking her stomach. She felt him slide his hands up to her waist and she unwrapped her legs so she could stand as he put her down. "You know that happens on an involuntary basis."

Rubbing her open palm over the bulge in his pants she leaned up to kiss him again mumbling, "Yah huh." He groaned pulling her hand away then guided her into the driver's seat.

"Careful, it's been a lot longer for me," he told her solemnly. She didn't respond, choosing to drive away completely blown by what had just occurred in the summer evening sunshine.

Friday, day twenty-two. Marvelous. Georgeanne felt hyper aware of Casche sitting on the floor of the Toretto living room playing with Nic and Gio. She didn't know he was going to be there when she'd impulsively decided to swing by and see if Junior wanted to lay low for the night. Georgeanne's strategy from day one had been to stay in as much as possible, remove the temptations. But Han was gone for the weekend and she knew she'd get weak home alone with Hannah on speed dial. Junior returned from the kitchen with a bottle of water for Georgeanne.

"I didn't know I was so popular," Junior smirked, Georgeanne kept her face smooth.

"Dad! We're going to be late!" Nic pouted.

"Yeah, yeah. Grab your jackets and we'll go," Junior agreed watching the boys scramble to go grab their jackets from their rooms. Casche stood up, dusting himself off looking Junior in the eye before he grabbed his jacket.

"Catch you later," he grumbled.

Junior gave his cousin a cursory glance then shrugged, "You two can come with us. It's just some kid's birthday party at the mini golf place."

"Kinda late for a kid's party," Casche said suspiciously. It was almost seven at night.

"Yeah, it's from seven to nine. The kid is seven so it must make him feel really special. Friday night, late party," Junior trailed off with a grin.

The boys were back, Gio going to tug on Georgeanne's hand, "Come on Sushi Gigi, come on!" Feeling that a little boy's birthday party would probably be pretty safe for her she got up and followed them to Junior's car. The five of them piled in, Georgeanne sitting in the back with the boys so she could be as far as possible from Casche. Nic kept up a running commentary on the kid who was in his class this past year. It was no surprise that the adults were abandoned immediately when the boys found the rest of their friends.

"You know we haven't played mini golf in a long time," Georgeanne said idly. The three of them shared a conspiratorial smile. The last time they'd played mini golf the three of them had been on a team against Tony, Trix, and Nikki. They'd beaten them so badly that the others didn't want to play with them anymore. It had been a fun night all the same.

"I'm game," Junior offered looking at Casche who nodded his agreement. The adults paid for their clubs and started to play, weaving around the younger kids who weren't as skilled as they were. Casche stood next to Georgeanne as they watched Junior line up his shot.

"So I'm moving soon," he told her casually. She didn't answer, preferring to watch the progress of Junior's ball.

"That's breaking news," Junior mused switching places with Casche.

"Yep, I need the extra space," he responded, lining up his shot then sending the brightly colored ball down the green lane. He and Georgeanne switched places.

"Guess that means you need help moving," Junior said dryly.

"Actually I'm hiring someone to do that for me."

Junior smiled, "Then I'm getting you a stripper pole as a housewarming gift." Casche socked him in the arm playfully. "Women can't resist the allure of the pole."

Georgeanne hit her ball, sending it in the hole on the first shot, "Nice."

She followed the men to their second shots, removing her ball from the cup. Casche stared into her eyes, "So what are you giving me?"

Georgeanne licked her lips then closed her eyes. She forced herself to remove the innuendo from her response. He was just being friendly, nothing more. "I don't know how to top the pole."

He and Junior grinned then they both concentrated to sink their shots into the cup too. Heading for the next hole, Casche decided to delve into his request, "Help me decorate the place. You know, pick out paint, place things just right."

Georgeanne shook her head, "Get Summer to help you."

"I did. She agreed that I should ask you." Georgeanne knew that it wasn't as simple as Casche was making it seem. Summer really didn't like her at all and seemed to despise the fact that she had decorated his apartment. He pressed on, "I'm willing to sink ten g's into this plus the sale of all the furniture."

"You're selling all your furniture?" Junior sputtered incredulously.

Casche nodded a rueful grin on his face, "I'm only keeping the electronics and my bed."

Georgeanne felt her heart start skipping beats. He was keeping his bed. He'd probably had to fight tooth and nail for it, "She doesn't like being around me."

"She doesn't understand you Gigi. This will change that," Casche said confidently. He knew that Summer harbored jealous feelings for the brunette, but he realized that he needed the these two parts of his life to coexist. Kissing Georgeanne three weeks ago had been a huge mistake, one that was too easy to make because she didn't seem to care if Summer's feelings or heart would be hurt by their actions. He needed Georgeanne to care enough for Summer so they would stop competing against each other, work together like the rest of their family. He'd already proven that he may not be strong enough to resist a full assault if Georgeanne decided that he was what she wanted, regardless of his love for Summer.

"I doubt that," Junior said skeptically, keeping Georgeanne from responding with those same words.

"I can't. I'm too busy at work," Georgeanne told him firmly. She would love a chance to work on a personal project but the price here seemed too high.

"I'll wait," Casche told her simply.

Georgeanne stepped up to line up her shot but she swore she heard Junior mumble under his breath, "Backpedalling."

They talked about other things, dropping the decorating conversation for the rest of the night. The ride home was filled with Gio and Nic's excited chatter about the party. Georgeanne expected to leave immediately when they pulled into the Toretto drive but Junior grabbed her wrist anticipating she was ready to bolt. Instead Casche left first and they walked into the house to find Nikki curled up on the couch watching a movie.

Junior gently shoved Georgeanne towards the couch before signaling the boys upstairs. "Do yourself a favor and be here when I get back." He didn't bother to look back at her, opting to follow his sons upstairs so they could start getting baths and ready for bed. Nikki gave her a mischievous smile.

"I think I want to tuck my nephews in tonight," Nikki said slyly getting up from her seat and jumping up the stairs. She hoped that whatever they were going to discuss would be in voices loud enough to provide Nikki with some entertainment to break up the boring night. Junior looked like he wanted to tell the woman off. Junior came downstairs moments after Nikki left, grabbing Georgeanne's hand to lead her into his room in the basement. He waited until the door snapped closed behind them before pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers.

"Gigi," he started, his voice sounding calm but his actions betraying that he was frustrated, "It would be best if you didn't take them up on their offer unless you're completely over him."

"I wasn't planning on doing it period," she retorted equally calm.

He met her eyes, "Good 'cause Casche is weak when it comes to you."

"He's married."

"Does it matter?"

Georgeanne chuckled softly, "So you want to protect him from me?"

He gave her a chuckle in return, "I want two volatile people to make cautious decisions."

"We are," she said shaking her head, "I am."

He gathered her into a big hug. She let herself relax her head on his shoulder, accept the small circles being rubbed on her back. Comfort oozed from his touch releasing tension she didn't know she'd been feeling.

"You going home?" he asked her tickling her scalp with his breath.

She looked up at him, "I'd rather stay and have you tuck me in."

He chuckled again, pulling away to go check on Gio and Nic. Georgeanne pulled off her shoes, jeans, and bra before slipping between the covers. She closed her eyes, working to get comfortable before he returned.

"Uh, you can go sleep upstairs. Gio and Nic crawled into bed with Nikki." Sometimes he wondered why they had bothered making them rooms down here with him.

She blinked at him and he rolled his eyes, closing the door and turning off the lights. The room was completely dark. She heard him undoing his belt, slip out his pants, and pull his shirt off. He slipped under the covers next to her in his boxers and undershirt. It was something they had done before sleeping in the same bed together but tonight she didn't feel like she could get comfortable. She flopped on her back, heaving a big sigh.

"It _is_ my bed," Junior reminded her dryly.

"Is it day twenty-three yet?"

"It's not even eleven yet." She sighed again. "You know you can go get your rocks off anytime you choose."

"And prove your ass right? No chance."

He lay on his back staring unseeingly at the ceiling, "Are you honestly happy sleeping around all the time?"

"Yes," she responded quickly. Or at least she had been because everyone else was too.

"Well that makes you and Ryan the last holdouts."

"Not all of us want monogamy."

"True. You seem to want it even less now your longest sensual relationship died."

"Excuse me?"

"Casche was the closest you've come to committing to any person."

"So?"

"For a person who likes the variety, you seem to be really hung up on something you never showed interest in before."

"Funny, you haven't minded a bit of variety since Lena."

"It's not the same."

"Do any of the women you've slept with since her matter?" Junior remained silent so she pressed on, "I know your answer is no. For a person who values monogamy you certainly don't have a problem finding women to fulfill your needs."

"Shut up," he said in a low growl.

Georgeanne rolled over to reach for him wanting to give him a hug rather than apologize for being harsh, hurting his feelings. Pressing against his side, she intertwined their legs propping on her elbow so she could lean over where she knew his face would be. Her long hair tickled his face so he took his hand to sweep it away behind her shoulder cupping her face when he was finished.

"Is that what you want Gigi? You want to matter?" he asked in his quiet rumble. He felt the single tear trail across his hand. "According to you our sleeping together wouldn't make you matter to me regardless."

"And according to you I'm so promiscuous it wouldn't matter to me either."

"Your feelings are hurt," he stated.

"Thanks for acknowledging I have them." Leaning down she rubbed her nose against his, searching for his lips, smiling when their lips connected. He kissed her lazily, the two of them not really doing it for any other reason than it was something to do. She felt his lips turn into a smirk before his left hand smacked her hard on the ass. She bit him.

"Why do you insist on doing that?" she huffed.

He laughed outright, "I've watched you do it before."

"I tap. You spank."

"It's not something I do normally but you seem to need it."

She stuck out her tongue knowing he couldn't see it then licked him for good measure along the side of his face. "Gross Gigi!"

"It's not something I do normally but you seem to need it," she mocked him. He kissed her lightly on the lips again instead of apologizing. He had been truthful about his compulsion to smack her behind, something he didn't normally feel with any woman. She shifted against him pressing her breasts into his side, letting her leg slide against his restlessly and fought the urge to do it again. Instead he slid his hand up her back, pressing her gently down so he could kiss her again, deeper this time. She sighed into his mouth sweeping her tongue into his so they could tangle. He noticed her hands getting restless sliding along his chest to push the hem of his undershirt up. She didn't have trouble finding his nipples, giving them a pinch, making him groan, inspiring his erection to blossom.

For a moment he thought about pulling away, stopping the madness early but she straddled his hips and he felt the moistness of her flimsy panties on his boxers. She sat up rubbing her self tentatively against him suppressing the moan she felt but unable to stop the shiver her body gave. His hands slid up her body under her tank top, pulling it off her body. She shook herself tossing her hair and licking her lips, knowing that he really couldn't see the greater details even if his eyes were open in the dark room. She felt his hands travel to cup her breasts, his thumbs brushing her nipples, pinching hers when she pinched his. Finally he pulled her back down so they could kiss again her slid her hips up against him so she could reach.

He grunted her name, unable to do anything else. He suddenly wanted her very badly. He had never wanted her before in all their years of knowing each other and now she felt so good he never wanted them to stop. She nipped his ears leaving a trail of kisses down his neck, licking right at the spot behind his ear that made him want to howl. He gripped her hips, flipping her beneath him and pulling her panties down in one fluid move. She opened her thighs for his fingers eagerly then moved her hand to remove his boxers, cradle his dick in her hands.

"Fuck Gigi," he exclaimed between heavy breaths. He didn't feel he was going to last long if she kept that up, "It's been so long for me."

She groaned in his ear, "Me too."

He couldn't resist laughing at her 'suffering', "I don't know how you lasted this long."

Suddenly Gigi stiffened beneath him, "Oh no. Stop. Stop. Stop." She didn't sound like she wanted to stop but he immediately removed his hands and rolled off her.

"What's wrong?"

"Shit. It's day twenty-two," she wailed.

"Actually it might be day twenty-three by now."

She sat up straight feeling around for her clothes, knowing searching in the dark was futile, "I can't be in here."

He heard the panic in her voice and smiled, "I'll go sleep upstairs."

Her legs shook. She wanted him to touch her again. She was almost ready to beg him to do it. The room smelled and felt like sex to her making her fingers itch to touch herself and relieve the pressure. She had to get out of there. "No I am going home."

Junior sighed, "It would be negligent for me to put you on the streets this late at night when you're this horny. You'd just get into trouble."

"You're an idiot," she said grinning at his teasing.

"I could smack your ass again if it would help," he offered rolling off the bed to turn on the light so they could get dressed. He kept his eyes down so he wouldn't look at her, pulling on his jeans and undershirt. He still felt keyed up but it felt manageable now. Georgeanne threw on her clothes in a hurry flipping her hair out of her eyes. She reached for her shoes but Junior grabbed her hand tugging her towards the door.

"But my shoes," she told him.

"You're going to sleep upstairs Gigi. I was serious about you driving like that." He led her up the stairs to the kitchen then tugged her to the base of the stairs leading to the additional bedrooms. He looked at her tousled hair, her swollen lips and half closed eyes and crazily contemplated taking her back to his room, working her up till she forgot her own name. But he didn't want to discourage her progress on the abstinence front so he dropped a quick kiss on her lips. She groaned softly then kissed him back feeling the madness beginning to build again when his hand came up to cup her breast. Groaning into her ear he commanded her to go upstairs, refusing to move until he heard the door snap quietly shut. He'd have plenty of time to agonize over this latest crazy development between them later.

"Well what do you know how to cook?" Nikki asked Georgeanne the following morning, one eyebrow raised.

"Eggs and toast."

"How do you survive?"

"Yogurt."

Nikki laughed. Georgeanne looked odd in the borrowed sundress. She had more breast and leg than Nikki, the result making the spaghetti top stretch barely covering her up and the hem of the garment fall three inches below her behind. It had not been Georgeanne's first choice but Nikki pants were too short for the other woman and Nikki wanted to preserve the shape of her shirts, fearing Georgeanne's breasts would stretch them beyond saving. This dress though, one of Bria's picks, was ok to sacrifice.

"Well you're in charge of toast," Nikki told her, "Ten pieces should do it."

"Are you counting me in the carb count?"

"Yep."

"Don't."

"Make it anyway. One of the males in here will eat it."

"Aunt Nikki! Aunt Nikki! I want orange juice!" Gio announced racing into the kitchen. "Sushi Gigi!" He wrapped himself around her leg and she cradled his head in her hand. Georgeanne ran her fingers through the little boy's hair.

"Want to help me make toast?" she smiled at him affectionately. He nodded and she grabbed a chair for him to stand on. They washed their hands then she let him put the bread in the toaster, push the arm down. They watched the toaster work and Gio jumped a bit when it popped up. Letty joined them as they were putting two more pieces of bread in.

"You're still here," Letty yawned grabbing glasses from the cupboard to fill with orange juice.

"Breakfast is more fun when there is more than one," Georgeanne quipped.

"Hold that thought till after breakfast," Letty tossed back. She sat at the table to wait for the Ortiz/Toretto breakfast ritual to start. Gio and Georgeanne were waiting for the last two pieces of toast to finish when Junior walked upstairs. He smelled the bacon from downstairs which forced him to get up reminding him they had a full day at the garage. He walked into the familiar room to find his sister putting a bowl of eggs on the table, the bacon already lying ready. His mom was sitting down reading through the paper. His youngest son was watching the toaster and Gigi was standing next to him, elbows braced on the counter, her chin in her hands. The position required her to bend partially over and he noticed that she had on an ill fitting dress that showed off a lot of leg.

"What do we got here?" Junior called out. He grabbed plates from the cabinet then fiddled in a drawer for forks.

"I'm making toast Daddy," Gio offered up eagerly.

"Good job but I think Gigi is big enough to handle it. Can you put forks on the table?" Gio nodded slipping off the chair and taking the forks in his little hands. Nikki grabbed the plates from him then followed Gio in an attempt to keep the forks off the floor. The toast popped up but Georgeanne didn't move.

"I'm hoping you'll finish up for me," she said wiggling her leg absently. He stood behind her but was careful not to touch her as he reached around to pluck the two slices out of the toaster, placing them on the stack already waiting.

"Eight more days," he whispered in her ear. She laughed at his response to her innuendo.

"Can we get the toast or are you two still trading secrets," Dom's voice called out irritably. He'd walked into the room to find his son crowding his best friend's kid. The pair pulled apart, putting the toast on the table. Everyone crossed themselves then Dom called out, "God."

They dug in to breakfast. It was chaos. Dom and Letty were always adjusting Gio's cup or fork to keep them from tipping over or hitting the floor. Nikki and Nic looked like they were racing each other to finish breakfast. But the young boy requested the extra slice of toast. Not to be outdone Gio cried for some of the extra toast too even though he wasn't done. The whining stopped when Junior split the toast in two pieces, giving Nic a slightly larger portion so it wouldn't all go to waste. Georgeanne sat between Junior and Dom surprised at how busy breakfast was at this table. She looked down, intending to eat the last of her bacon but found it missing. She looked over at Junior who was chewing happily.

Leaning over she braced her right arm between his legs on his seat, leaning her breasts on his arm, "Is that something your normally do?"

"Nope," he said calmly popping the 'p'. She stuck her tongue out and licked his face again.

"Gross Gigi!" Junior exclaimed as everyone else burst into laughter.

"That will teach you to keep your hand on your own plate," she told him saucily before standing up to collect plates. She placed water in the sink so she could wash the dishes.

"You don't have to do that," Letty told her in a tone that was happy someone else was doing the dishes for a change.

Junior walked over to stand beside Georgeanne, "I'll help. See you at the garage in twenty."

Letty gave her son a long look. His friendship with Georgeanne wasn't anything new. Those two knew each other in ways the others would never understand. But the last few weeks the line between friendly and flirting looked like it was blurring for them. There was no way those two would get involved so she shouldn't worry herself. After all, Georgeanne preferred the company of women. Shaking her head she called out for her grandkids so she could drop them off at daycare before she headed to the garage. Nikki and Dom followed, leaving Georgeanne and Junior alone with the dirty dishes.

"Gigi," Junior started heavily thinking of the ramifications their actions could have on their lives. He'd watched her during breakfast, taken in the scowl from his dad, the curiosity from his mom. "Ever thought of trying something different?"

"Get to the point," she told him, knowing he was trying to casually lead them into whatever he was thinking.

"What you want is different from what you've ever had. It's going to require you to behave differently, make changes."

"I'm confused."

Junior sighed, "If you want to matter to someone, you'll have to start giving them something to care about. You won't find that in random sex."

"So you're telling me to cut back?"

"I'm suggesting monogamy."

Georgeanne snorted, the sound so absurd from her that Junior laughed. "Why are you suggesting torture?"

"Because I'm getting ready to screw things up in a big way. I need to know I'm not some fling for you."

Georgeanne paused rinsing the dishes to give Junior an incredulous look, "What is there to screw up? We screw, I move on."

"But what if I can't? What if I want more than one time?" Georgeanne pushed away from the counter suddenly wary of Junior's clingy attitude. He turned folding his arms across his chest to watch her pace. "Gigi, I have to consider that the change in our relationship won't go unnoticed."

"What changes Junior?" she yelled unnerved. He remained calm, pleased to know that she was reacting how he predicted, desperate to cling to what was familiar. The option was there for her to cool what had started the night before, keep their friendship intact.

"You'll start ignoring or avoiding me, pretending I don't matter. They will all understand what it means right away."

"Fine. You don't want me, I get it. See you later," Georgeanne told him in exasperation, throwing up her hands. Junior watched her walk downstairs, most likely going to retrieve her expensive shoes and keys. She returned a minute later coming to stand in his face, her breathing angry but under control. "Where are my keys?"

Junior let his mouth twist into a smile. Her keys were in his pocket. "I want you, but longer than a night. I want you to matter."

She pursed her lips feeling anger and an unknown feeling swirl inside of her. He would throw their conversation from the night before back at her. Suddenly Junior wasn't as safe as she thought he would be. He was talking about trapping her, committing. "I'm not Lena."

Junior grabbed her, pulling her close. Her hands braced against his chest, her body lying against him seductively. He grabbed her behind, lifting her so she was standing on her toes to whisper in her hair, "I know."

She felt herself wanting to kiss him, rub against him till he felt as reckless as she did. "You won't last long."

"Try me," he said grinning before he pressed his lips to hers. She kissed him back eagerly, wrapping her arms around his neck, trying to push their bodies closer. Willing to prolong contact Junior let his hands slide under the dress, his groan tortured as his hands found bare skin instead of underwear. His fingers clenched and unclenched, kneading the flesh between them, pushing her hips closer to his so he could grind against her. The whimper she gave was a clear invitation to take her to bed. He slipped a finger inside of her, the sharp stab of lust hitting him when he felt her clench around it. Licking the corner of his mouth Georgeanne pulled back, missing the contact, saddened as his finger slowly retreated from inside. She grabbed his hand intent on licking her wetness from his digit but trailed it on her chest instead.

He practically dragged her downstairs to his room, pulling the dress off her impatiently then sitting on the edge of the bed. He kissed her belly then directed her legs to straddle him. She sat feeling her legs slide apart as he opened his. They stared at each other for a moment, long enough for her to realize that he was still clothed but she was completely naked. She reached for his shirt but he hissed at her shaking his head. Instead he leaned over to lick her breasts, pausing to suck her nipples, letting his hands brace her back as she arched to push herself closer. She moaned incoherently when he shifted to pull her head forward so they could kiss again sloppily.

"Touch me," she told him, her voice sultry.

He shook his head, "No. I want to watch." Understanding the challenge, Georgeanne let her fingers trail over her body finally giving in to the ache in her breasts. She cupped each one, pinching her nipples till her legs wanted to clench close. Unable to do that she let her right hand skim over her body until she could tease herself instead. Junior watched with heavy lidded eyes as she slowly inserted one of her fingers inside, pushing it deep. Her lips parted involuntarily, a deep moan escaping her making him want to touch but he refrained. She slowly started moving, plunging in quick and deep but pulling out slowly so he could watch the moisture glisten on her. Eventually her hips started to move, to help her build towards her climax. He could hear her getting closer, her breath hitching more often, the movements getting frantic. He felt himself getting closer too, even though she wasn't touching him. She looked so erotic to him and he didn't think he'd be able to stop himself.

But instead of stopping her he whispered, "Fuck Gigi. That's it, come for me." He watched her stiffen, her mouth open wide a second before she exploded, the sound full of delight ripping from her. He expected it to end quickly but she didn't stop moving her fingers and another moan quickly erupted from her before she collapsed against him. Her body felt like it was thrumming as she tried to catch her breath. Still buzzing she kissed Junior lazily, feeling him tense up and pull back.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm so late for work," he grumbled. She grinned, letting her hands trail up his shirt, finding no protest when she lifted it off him. Kissing his chest she felt him undo his belt and pants. She attempted to stand up but he stilled her, lying instead and pushing her hips up slightly so he could maneuver out of his pants and boxers instead. The moment he was free he picked her up so he could roll her under him. His dick was pulsing against her leg as he kissed her slowly, fondling her breasts, guiding her legs to wrap around him. He felt her shift her hips against his stomach impatiently, her soft legs tighten to pull him closer. She seemed both sure of having sex with him and unsure that she was doing the right thing to entice him to get started. He felt her try to roll him over, to gain the advantage by being on top but he knew he'd be unable to make himself last long if she rode him right now. He needed to be able to pull away, to have these moments like he was having now so he wouldn't completely lose control.

Georgeanne was ready to feel Junior inside of her. She tried to roll him over but he was much larger than she, easily keeping her pinned to the bed. Wiggling her hips she felt him take in a sharp breath then nip her ear. Not wanting to play much longer she started kissing his chest and neck, pausing to gently nip him. Her tongue on his ear made his breath hitch again and then she felt him lift up slightly to look at her face. Seconds later she felt him pushing gently against her opening, slowly invading her body. She closed her eyes to help herself focus on adjusting to the new sensation, to relax rather than clench like her body was instinctively doing. He groaned as he met resistance but didn't stop pushing forward. She raised her hips, delighting in the way he ground against her seconds before she felt something inside of her pop. She didn't want to focus on the small stab of pain, especially since Junior seemed unable to do anything but sink himself inside of her then pull out harshly. She expected him to stop, to realize that suddenly she wasn't as focused on pleasure as he was but he shuddered then entered her again, rougher this time.

Gasping at the unexpected feeling, of pleasure mixed with waning pain, she shifted her hips against his to bury him deeper. Her eyes opened and she intended to look him in the eyes but his were now closed, his teeth gritted. She felt him pulling out again and hoped that he'd be done soon, the pleasure building in her overshadowed by the foreign tightness and pain. He plunged again and again, moving faster and gripping her hips to help her meet him when she stopped doing it herself. She felt him losing control seconds before she felt herself starting to undulate involuntarily around him. Gripping her lip between her teeth she strained against him one last time before he cried out, pulsing his orgasm inside of her. The odd feeling, of rippling flesh and extra moisture turned her on and she came again despite everything else. She felt Junior's satisfied groan rumble through her where they were connected.

They lay there for at least two minutes, neither one speaking as their breathing evened out. Junior finally decided to roll over so his weight wouldn't press her to the mattress, but he surprised her by pulling her head to lie on his shoulder. She wasn't one to normally cuddle after sex. They fell into an exhausted sleep waking when Junior's cell phone started ringing but he ignored it. He pulled her up to take a shower with him, gently soaping her up and washing her hair. He never had a thing for hair before but pulling his hands through her long strands started to stir him up. It might be linked to the intimacy Georgeanne was sharing with him, her eyes closed to the spray of the water, holding her head back and body still for him to touch her any way he chose. She was rarely this open. He sighed.

"No regrets?" she said her accent heavier than normal. He wondered if she knew she muttered things in a combination of Japanese and French when she was consumed by passion.

"I don't regret having sex with my girlfriend," he teased. She shook her head.

"Merde," _Shit_ she exclaimed without heat.

"Chill out," he told her turning off the water then grabbing them each a towel.

"I don't…" He kissed her to cut her off.

"I'm not asking for titles, just exclusivity. Sex with me and only me for now ok?"

Instead of responding right away she stalked past him, pulling on the borrowed dress and her shoes, searching the room for her keys. Junior pulled them from his pant pocket before getting dressed. They walked outside to her car and he tugged on her still wet hair.

"I'll try," she told him honestly.

"Try really hard Gigi," he told her in frustration. Georgeanne sped off for the comfort of her own clothes and bed firmly deciding to not think about anything that happened that morning, push it behind her.

'_I am not a coward. I am not going to avoid him. I will prove him wrong.'_ Georgeanne kept these thoughts running through her head as she drove to the Toretto's for Sunday barbeque. She'd spent the last two hours first wallowing in bed then grumbling to herself, determined to face her family as if nothing was changed. But the small twinge between her legs told her differently, called her a liar. She was both sore and wanted to get Junior alone again. Plastering a smooth mask of indifference on her face she walked up the drive, her eyes immediately falling on Mia, Letty, Jenna, Bria, Trix, Summer, and Nikki sitting under the shade of a tree. Nikki looked at her with a wicked smile on her face but Georgeanne didn't let that deter her from approaching.

"Ladies," she greeted them sitting down next to Jenna in a seat far from Summer.

"Good you're here. Bria just volunteered you to be the official clothing sponsor for the party," Mia said rolling her eyes.

"Not like sponsorship, more like consulting," Bria piped up eagerly.

Georgeanne shrugged, "You want to borrow from the closet or for me to call Noël?"

Trix frowned, "The last time you called your mamma we ended up with floss for bathing suits."

"They're European," Georgeanne reminded her wryly but she was teasing.

"Nonexistant," Jenna reminded them.

"Dom would kill us," Letty said with an evil grin pointing to herself and her daughter Nikki.

"You'll need something custom Summer," Georgeanne told the woman. They gave each other a stare before Summer shook her head. "Nonsense, nothing made by a respectable designer prêt-a-porte is going to fit right over your curves," she told her gesturing to her slightly protruding stomach.

Summer frowned, "I can find my own clothes, thanks."

"I look forward to seeing that as much as I look forward to seeing your new home," Georgeanne let roll out of her mouth unchecked. There was a tense moment of silence. She'd let Summer decide if it was meant as a complement or insult. Why oh why couldn't she stop the feelings of animosity lie dormant?

"How is your move coming Summer?" Trix asked to resume the conversation.

"I didn't know you were moving," Jenna said wistfully, "though it makes sense. Can't raise a kid in a one-bedroom apartment."

There were nods of agreement but Georgeanne kept her eyes trained on the blonde woman's face. There was tension there and Georgeanne felt herself wanting to twist the knife just a bit deeper, to see if pregnant women cried more often, if the blond would succumb to crying. Rolling her eyes at her own feelings she stood up to stalk away. No one tried to stop her, the conversation not needing her input. Looking for a place to let her feelings dissipate she walked into the house, crossing into the living room.

"Ok, I'm coming now," Junior said absently his eyes glued to the race on TV.

"Promise?" Georgeanne asked silkily. He turned, mouth half open to look at her.

"I thought you were Nikki," he admitted.

"That's incestuous," she frowned at him playfully walking up to him to sit on his lap. He cradled her back and she rested her head on his shoulder. They sat comfortably in silence, the cars and commentators providing the noise. Junior's eyes stayed glued to the TV until the commercial break then his hands rubbed her leg absently when he looked at her.

"Pissed anyone off yet?"

"Just the usual."

The race came back on and they fell back into silence, but his hand didn't stop rubbing her leg, his fingers tracing circles on her thigh. She braced her elbow on his shoulder so her fingers could tickle his ear, slide down his collarbone. She looked at him while he was riveted to the TV taking comfort in his relaxed features. He didn't look like he minded that she was there in his space. The race couldn't keep her attention so she lowered her head to his shoulder, letting her nose rest near his neck to she could sniff his cologne recognizing that she wasn't able to name it the way she knew perfume but that it was perfect for him. Closing her eyes she leaned in closer to his neck, licking him to taste his skin. His grip against her leg made her open her eyes. He turned to look at her his eye lids heavy, capturing her mouth while his hand moving up to cup her breast. So he wanted her as much as she wanted him.

"Not now, not now," he whispered against her chest.

"Let's go for a ride," she whispered back standing up knowing she just wanted to get him to her house, to her bed.

"Dinner…" She shook her head, tossing her hair. He took her hand, standing to cup her behind in his hands, push her closer to him so they could kiss. She did do with enthusiasm, moaning into his mouth remembering how he made her feel the previous morning.

"Ie ni kaeritai desu," _I want to go home. _He chuckled, pulling back, not understanding what she said but the horniness behind it. It made him want to give in but they were well on their way to being caught out by a member of their family at any moment.

"Whatever it is, I promise later," he told her turning off the TV and leading her outside. As they started across the backyard he could feel her pouting behind him so he gave her arm a tug to snap her in front of him. She executed a quick turn and he gave her a hearty smack on the ass to make her move forward.

"That was an accident," he told her trying to keep a smile off his face. She got close, pushing her breasts into his chest, her mouth really close to his.

"I plan to return the favor later," she countered saucily, so low that only he could hear. He watched her walk away, shaking his head to himself until he looked up and caught his dad's eye. Dom looked at Junior motioning for his son to join him at the grill. Dom didn't like the way Junior and Gigi were acting around each other. It was too close, too flirty even their close friendship. Junior blinked a few times, letting his thoughts return to racing stats so he could face his dad with a nonchalant expression.

"Junior," Dom started but Georgeanne came up to them frowning.

"I'm going home now," she said sharply. The other women had gave her various pitying looks as she took in Summer and Casche sitting close together, his hand on her growing belly. Junior looked at her, wrapping an arm around her neck to draw her close.

"Gigi, you promised," he told her gently. She turned her head.

"What happened to you?" Dom asked his niece by friendship. She looked agitated, mean.

"It doesn't_ matter_," she said, her accent heavy but her words low. Even in anger she was determined to keep herself impassive, brush off her hurts.

"Stay for dinner. It will blow over," Dom told her then felt he might as well address his concerns to the both of them since they were all standing together. "So what's going on with you two?" There was silence from Junior and Georgeanne, neither willing to touch Dom's question. Dom raised an eyebrow at them. "That much huh."

"Nothing is going on," Junior said absently twirling Georgeanne's hair in his fingers.

"I've seen you smack her ass at least half a dozen times. Try again."

Georgeanne smiled despite her anger, "It's just something he does."

"No, no. That ain't normal," Dom insisted keeping his voice joking, light. Junior was familiar enough with it to know his dad was fishing and telling him to cut it out all at the same time.

"Good to know it bothers others," Georgeanne replied looking at Junior through long lashes.

He whispered in her ear, "Not really, just you."

Dom looked at them, his mind taking him back to another time, another young woman. He gave his son a frown, "Are you two fucking around?"

Georgeanne smiled vapidly, "I'm a lesbian Uncle Dom."

"Doesn't mean he's not dicking around," Dom countered pointing at Junior.

"Well we'll all know in nine months," Junior said dryly rolling his eyes before falling into a mock whisper, "Apparently I'm _really _fertile."

Georgeanne laughed outright unable to school her face or hold it in. Dom was holding in his laughter, trying to keep the conversation serious enough for him to get an answer.

"What's so funny?" Casche asked approaching them with four beers in his hands. He passed them out, noticing that Junior didn't take his arm from around Georgeanne's neck.

"Junior's virility," Georgeanne said serenely taking a sip from her beer, a slight smile playing over her lips.

"Should you be drinking with my potential grandchild in there?" Dom said pointing to her stomach. Georgeanne took another long swig, raising her eyebrow comically.

"Cut it out Dad. That's how rumors start," Junior stated taking a sip of his beer. Casche looked at his cousins, taking in Junior's arm and Georgeanne's carefully expressionless face. They were playing it cool; almost too cool considering how buddy-buddy they'd been lately. He took a deep swig of his beer, narrowing his eyes.

"You sure that's all it is?" Casche asked coldly. Junior gave his best friend, his closest cousin a blank look at the tone.

" 'Scuse me?" Junior asked not believing this was happening. Casche was married to someone else yet he seemed like he was going to go all jealous lover in seconds.

"Does it matter?" Georgeanne asked flippantly taking another pull from her beer. She wanted to keep her mouth as full as possible so her words wouldn't cause her any more trouble. She'd already stalked away from the pregnant woman practically throwing her relationship with Casche in Georgeanne's face.

Casche stared at them another moment. _'Did it matter?'_ It shouldn't matter, but Casche felt that irrationally it would matter if she chose Junior over him. Especially since he'd chased her for six years and Junior had never shown any interest. Casche had never pressed, never blatantly come out and said he wanted to be with the model-like brunette but he could have sworn she knew his feelings.

"Not to me," Casche said hoping that the bitterness wouldn't come out, finding some of it seeped out anyway. Georgeanne felt sick, convinced that regardless of knowing the truth Casche was making it clear that what she did wouldn't ever affect him again. She felt saddened by the rejection. _'Why would they all continue to treat her as if she had no feelings?'_ The recklessness began to build in her pressing her to curse him out in three languages but she refrained.

"You guys eat yet?" Han's voice carried over to them. Nic ran to greet his Uncle Han, excited that the man picked him up. People rarely did that for him anymore. He allowed himself to be maneuvered till he was being chauffeured by piggy back to his grandpa, dad, Uncle Casche and Aunt Gigi.

"Home early," Dom said greeting one of his oldest friends. Han looked at the group assembled around the grill, recognizing immediately that something was wrong with his daughter. She looked like she wanted to run far and fast. It reminded him, the same way her curling in his lap had a few weeks ago, of an awkward period in Georgeanne's life where she'd had her heart broken by her only girlfriend. That girl he knew had been Georgeanne's first and it had been hard to comfort her at fifteen. She didn't seem to make the mistake of caring for women she slept with anymore, just like him.

"Georgeanne," Han said her name heavily accented, ready to take the conversation in Japanese to spare her embarrassment. He didn't expect Georgeanne's eyes to well up with tears.

"Otōsan," _Dad_. Not Han, but Dad.

"Let's go for a ride Gigi," Junior told her setting down their beers, weaving her past her dad, his son and Casche.

"Daddy I wanna go," Nic piped up eagerly.

"Not this time," Junior responded. Casche watched them walk away, Junior's hand coming away from her neck to grab her hand. Their finger's intertwined and he saw red. He didn't expect to follow them but found he wasn't sorry he'd done it. He watched Junior talk to her in a low voice, watched their bodies press together before Gigi got in her car and sped away. Junior watched her go alone, against his better judgment. She didn't need coddling. She needed a chance to pull herself together.


	17. Collegiate Fling pt 2

**Disclaimer: **Don't own. Don't sue. Thanks!

**Collegiate Fling (pt 2)**

"I didn't know you were coming!" Bria yelled in surprise, her arms slipping around Jack's neck. He caught her, pulling her to her toes as he hugged her back.

"Hiya blondie."

"Hiya yourself," she said kissing him full on the lips. A ghost of mischievous laughter made them break apart.

"Oh good, an extra set of hands," Nikki told him thrusting a clipboard at them before slipping away.

Bria shook her head, "Yes, you arrived just in time for the chaos."

Jack took in the mansion, "So who lives here?"

"A friend of my cousin," Bria answered taking his hand in hers immersing them in the flow of pre-party movement. Catering staff was setting up two food stations: one in the house with more traditional dinner party fare and one outside with comforting backyard barbeque selections. A group of men were currently moving around groups of tables, pausing every now and again to consult a placement sketch but they seemed to be struggling to adhere to it. A huge bar was being stocked by more catering staff in a room that bridged the backyard and the indoor party space.

"Where are we going?" Jack asked as they walked through the kitchen where food was being prepped for entry into ovens, pots, and pans. Bria tugged him into a small hallway, shoved him until he was up against the wall next to the door they'd just walked through and began kissing him. It took Jack a second to catch up, but once he did the kiss turned fiery.

Bria broke away for a moment to catch her breath, whispering, "I see you missed me as much as I missed you."

Jack trailed kisses down her neck, one arm firmly holding Bria while his other pressed the clipboard against her hips so they were pressed together. "How long till we can sneak off?"

Bria put her hands on Jack's chest so she could look him directly in the eyes, her eyebrow rising slightly, "What's stopping us from going right now?" Jack tapped the clipboard against her and she pouted. "Do we have to be responsible right this second?" He nipped her neck playfully running his hand slowly up her back till he had her neck lightly in his fingers. She gave an involuntary low groan, this being a position she loved.

"Blondie…" he whispered with regret under his tone. She knew it was time to pull away and did so reluctantly.

"I should make Nikki do her own f…" Bria started but Jack kissed her quickly with a smile. "Effing. I was going to say effing." He tapped her with the clipboard again and she took it from him to review the checklist. "Guess we should see how much of this is done before we continue right?"

Bria led the way back through the house, pausing to check off the caterer's arrival and get a status update. They wove back into the main room which was now filled with large speakers and cords. They watched as dark haired young woman led a procession of people with DJ equipment into the backyard, her head half buried in a piece of paper Jack assumed was another sketch. Bria struck off the 'DJ' box then started to stare up check the walls and ceiling.

"What are you looking for?" Jack asked.

"Just checking that the lighting is in place," Bria replied, checking off that item too. They wove past the bar which was looking healthily stocked and both buffet services which were only missing the food. Bria flipped to a page near the back of the clipboard, revealing a sketch of the layout of the backyard. She counted the tables and chairs, reviewed the lighting, and double checked that the DJ's 'booth' was being set up in the correct place. Jack noticed that there was enough space for people to dance and yet enough strategically placed couches and chairs for people to relax.

"What's left blondie?"

"Well there's a meeting with the catering staff for final instructions at six and a security meeting at six-thirty in the hallway and then guests should start arriving around seven-thirty," Bria tapped her pen against the clipboard, feeling comfortable when she was working though a list. She glanced down at her watch then into his face, "And it's already five! I've got to get dressed."

Jack laughed at the surprised look on Bria's face as she realized how late it already was. Nikki seemed to materialize from the shadows at that moment and drag Bria upstairs before the panic set in, giving Jack a knowing glance. Knowing Bria would use the full hour to get ready he turned to see if he could assist the DJ. Most of the equipment was physically set up, but the short haired man was starting to test his sound levels.

"Need some help?" Jack offered.

The man smiled wide, "Sure. Space is pretty large so I could use an ear in the out of sight spaces inside."

"Trix." The black haired young woman helping the DJ looked up to scowl at the beautiful brunette walking towards them. Trix's expression made the woman shake her head, "Don't make her send Nikki for you."

"Yeah, yeah," Trix grumbled in defeat.

"The boys are falling into line and you should too."

Trix rolled her eyes, kissed the DJ, then retreated upstairs with the brunette. As soon as the women were gone, Jack let his curiosity take over, "So have you known the family long?"

"Uh no. I only know 'em through Trix. I'm Cory."

Jack stuck out his hand for them to shake, "Jack. Yeah, I only know Bria and her cousin Nikki."

"You haven't met any of the rest of their family?" Cory asked incredulously. Jack's vacant expression made him laugh out loud and stick his hand out for another shake, "Welcome to my canoe. You want to take left or right side?"

Jack grinned realizing that he wouldn't be the only one at the party overwhelmed by meeting their significant other's family. They worked together after that, Jack going in and out of the inside rooms to make sure the speakers were working and playing the music optimally. By the time they finished it was about six-thirty so they joined the group assembled in the living room. The men in here were laughing but there was a subtle shift as they noticed Cory and Jack.

"Hey Cory, has Casche seen you yet?" a dark-brown curly haired man teased.

"Naw dude, he's still alive," a teenage boy joked. There was snickering from the others assembled and Cory just flashed a smile in response.

A second dark-brown, curly haired man walked up to Jack to shake his hand, "I'm Tony and you are…"

Jack shook hands with Tony, "Jack."

"Cool. He has a name," Jessie said in mock eagerness, then his tone changed to shrewd, "But who _are_ you?"

There was a sniff from a menacing looking man joining them from the foyer with the beautiful brunette. Jack noticed that she had swept her hair up into a half bun with her hair hanging dangling from the back in a pony tail. The dress she wore was very short, very red, and very tight against her body. Her long legs ended in matching red heels with black strappy embellishments. Her makeup and jewelry screamed rich and famous to Jack. Even if he'd never seen her dressed up, her face would have made him look twice, she was just beautiful. The sniff from the menacing man came again and Jack steeled himself. The woman approached, stopping two feet away to scan Jack.

"No wonder Bria's so fussy tonight," she announced slyly, her lip curling into a ghost of a smile.

A stocky, bald guy cleared his throat, "Who needs a shot?"

"Hold up Junior! We're on our way," a Trix's voice called out, followed shortly by her appearance in the room. Cory's eyes seemed to bug out of his head as he took in her blue skinny jeans, silver heels, and a silver handkerchief like shirt that left her back exposed. Cory reached out, grabbing the large blue and silver belt slung around her waist to pull her closer but there was a mutinous grunt from the dangerous looking man again. Cory paused but Trix moved to stand next to him. "Shut up Casche," she said without heat making Cory smile even wider.

The click of heels and some laughter made Jack continue to watch the archway to see who would appear next. Bria swung in, arm in arm, with Nikki. Nikki was in a teal baby doll dress, the edges scalloped lightly, the neckline low and the back plunge even lower. She was in heels too, though they were modest height, and her hair was hanging loose around her shoulders. Her makeup was tasteful but the dangling earrings really caught the light when her hair moved. But Jack's full attention fell to Bria in bright blue short-shorts, her long legs incased to the knee in stiletto white boots. Her white silky top was ruffled, cut low around her chest, the white and blue belt cinching the waist. Her blond hair swung partially down her back and when their eyes met, her blue ones sparkled with delight at his appreciation.

"Good, you've all met Jack," Bria said brightly, coming to his side and planting a peck on his lips.

Nikki's laugh stopped the tension that had been building, her eyes falling to Tony and Ryan. Casche seemed to relax too, pulling Nikki with him into the bar area with a gruff, "We should have that drink."

"So what should we have Ryan?" Junior asked placing a steadying hand on his cousin's shoulder. Tonight was not the night for Ryan and Tony to play protective-older-brothers.

"Henny, definitely," Ryan replied.

"Ilk," Bria exclaimed wrinkling her nose.

"What do you know about drinking little sis?" Ryan asked his eyes laughing though his eyebrows shot up.

"Goose," Bria supplied and Jack rubbed her back. The last time he and Bria drank that, she'd vowed never to let the stuff touch her lips again.

"Veto!" cried Nikki. Apparently she must know about the incident too.

Jessie piped up, "Patrón." The group turned to stare at their youngest member. "What? It's tradition."

Tony nodded, "Jessie's got a point."

Jack shook his head in confusion and Junior explained, "Our folks always get together at large parties and have a shot of Patrón. It's their thing."

Nikki gave a small deep smile, "I think it should be our thing too."

Junior pulled his sister close to him, giving her a kiss on the forehead. Gigi walked behind the bar and started pulling shot glasses. She filled eleven with Patrón then made sure each person got a glass.

Ryan raised his glass, "To bitches!"

There was a laugh and Jessie added, "To booze!"

Tony ruffled Jessie's hair before joining in, "To friendship."

Casche lifted his glass, thinking of Summer and looking at Cory and Trix, "To family."

Junior smiled his arm still around Nikki, "To fast cars."

Bria squeezed Jack's hand, "To love."

"To new beginnings," Jack continued.

Gigi tagged on, "And continuing old traditions."

"For who we'll grow to be," Cory nodded.

Trix smiled, "In honor of being the United Nations poster child of non-traditional extended family."

Nikki finished up, "To us, the Junior Varsity team." There were murmurs of assent as they clinked glasses together then downed their shots.

Cory clapped his hands together, "Ok, let's get the music pumping." He disappeared out the door.

"Hello?" a voice called out from the living room. Casche moved forward as pregnant woman breezed through the door.

"Summer," Casche whispered in her hair, giving her a quick kiss. Two boys followed behind her running to hug Casche's legs.

"You'd think they'd miss their father…" Junior trailed of jokingly.

Jack leaned over to whisper into Bria's ear, "Um, I'm really confused. That man isn't their dad?" He tipped his head at Casche who still had the boys firmly wrapped around his legs.

Bria laughed, "No. Junior is their dad," she pecked him on the cheek, "You'll get it together eventually."

There was a babble of voices and Gigi walked into the living room, recognizing that some of the voices weren't speaking English. The others followed at a leisurely pace to greet the newcomers.

"Neela-chan," Gigi said hugging a lovely older woman.

A shorter black man scooped Gigi up, "Damn girl, you grew up nice." Gigi smiled as he put her back on the ground.

"Twink," a small woman said with a small smile, "give her room to breathe."

"Reiko-chan," Gigi said hugging the small woman too.

"Hey Han, why don't you introduce the rest of us?" The man with the southern accent said.

"What is this? Kindergarten?" Han said dryly. Twinkie shook his head then introduced the crew from Tokyo: Shawn, Neela, Toshi, Earl, Reiko, and himself. They barely had time to get situated when another group of people flowed into the room.

Bria's face lit up, "Uncle Rome!" Jack took a small step back as a large man scooped Bria up.

"Yo girl! Didn't we just send you to college?"

"You remember the last time you picked her up like that?" Brian asked with a grin on his face. Rome hastily put Bria back on the ground.

"She was three, Bri," Tej teased.

"Yeah, but she threw up a hell of a lot on my shirt Tej," Rome scowled, "Some shit you just don't forget."

Bria stepped back to pull Jack forward. "Everyone, this is Jack my…"

Ryan cut her off, "the boyfriend." He greeted his family before taking a swig of his beer.

Bria nodded, smiling widely as her father's face froze. "Jack, this is my family from Miami. Uncle Rome, Uncle Tej, Aunt Suki, and Uncle Jimmy." Jack shook each person's hand in turn then took in the final two faces. First was a man with wavy blond hair and striking blue eyes that matched Bria's perfectly. The second was a woman who's coloring and hair color was reflected in Bria's twin brothers. "And these are my parents, Brian and Mia."

"Mr. and Mrs. O'Connor," Jack said politely offering his hand for them to shake.

Mia gave Jack a warm smile, "Well, at least we know what all the fuss was about. Welcome."

"Ma!" Ryan said disgustedly clearly peeved that she wasn't freaking out.

Rome patted his shoulder, "don't worry, we got this."

Jack decided to keep an eye out for Bria's family, sure that the older man was making a statement of fact, not an idle threat. Fortunately a third group of newcomers arrived, filling the room. Bria started whispering to Jack to fill him in on the new arrivals. Dom and Letty, Vince, Leon, and Jenna. Cory came back for a moment and the room was full of family: 30 adults plus two young boys. Shot glasses were passed out to all the adults and Ryan teasingly confiscated Summer's.

Dom cleared his throat and raised his glass, "To bitches," Letty poked him in the side, "to booze, fast cars. To family."

"To family," was echoed around the room and they all took their shots.

Jack had never been to a party as lively as this one. More guests began to arrive and the family split up to move around and party. The lights in the house were dimmed, lighting replaced by the small slowly twinkling lights littering the ceiling and columns in the living room. The bar area was modestly lit, making it easy on the eyes to transition from indoors to the outdoor pool area where soft lights and the lit pool helped guests maneuver around. The catering staff made sure there was plenty for people to eat and drink, keeping the tables clear for new groups to pause for something to eat. Within an hour, there were enough people milling around that a sizable crowd was dancing in an area near the DJ booth and there was a constant stream of people at the bar.

Bria disappeared for ten minutes, gathering her parents together, before she shouted for attention and chatter in the living room died down some. "I'd like to propose a toast," she began and Jack felt the room start to swell with additional bodies. He noticed the stocky man, Dom, grab the latin lady, Letty, and they shared a knowing glance at Bria's parents. Jack vaguely remembered that Dom and Mia were siblings.

"Tonight's celebration is a chance for us to recognize many members of my family. Right now I'd like us to raise our glasses to my parents, Brian and Mia, for twenty-five years of marriage. Salud!"

The crowd raised their glasses and drank to Mia and Brian. Bria hugged them both then flitted through the crowd to hug Jack. "Let's go outside and get something to eat," she told him before leading him though the crush of people at the bar into the backyard. They quickly piled their plates full of food then took seats with Nikki, Junior, Casche, Summer, and Junior's sons, Gio and Nic. Nic seemed to be explaining something complicated to his father but Junior wasn't really comprehending.

"But Dad, that lady wasn't wearing any underpants!" Nic exclaimed as they took their seats. Summer started coughing but the rest of adults tried desperately to contain their smiles.

Gio seemed to understand his brother's distress, "He's telling the truth. I checked!"

Junior shook his head, "Jesus." He'd caught his boys hiding under the tables and was now figuring out that they'd unwittingly been checking out the crotches of the women who'd sat down.

" 'Buelo would understand," Nic grumped, picking at the remains of his dinner. His dad rarely understood stuff anymore. At least his dad was staying away from Aunt Gigi and her girlfriends tonight.

"So when are you doing the second announcement?" Bria said staring at Nikki.

Nikki looked at her watch, "Forty-five minutes."

Summer sighed, rubbing her hand absently over the small bump present there. "I'm so sleepy. I can't wait to go upstairs to bed."

"You sure you're up to putting thing one and thing two to bed?" Nikki asked concerned.

Summer smiled, nodding. "I'm an elementary school teacher. I'll survive."

But twenty minutes later Summer's head was resting against Casche's shoulder as she slept. Nikki and Bria took the boys to dance, leaving Jack to talk to Junior.

"Look, don't worry about Ryan and Tony. Aunt Mia gave you her stamp of approval and no one wants to see her angry." Jack just nodded. Junior gave Jack a sideways glance but Casche spoke up.

"But if you hurt Bria, no one would blink an eye if we broke your neck." The comment was delivered so calmly that it chilled Jack's spine. He looked the menacing man, Casche, in the eyes for a long moment.

Junior broke the tension, "But you're brave and smart so I don't see that happening."

"Yo Junior, please tell me you're playing tonight," Ryan's voice cut across their conversation as he, Gigi, Tony, and Alicia joined them. Alicia, Jack had found out, was a 'friend' of Tony's from law school. Jack noticed that Junior looked not at Ryan but into the face of Gigi. Before the younger man could say no, Ryan spoke up, "You have to play. I just drafted you and Gigi. You're the only ones not hugged up yet." Ryan gave Jack a glassy stare but didn't comment.

Junior sighed, "Who then?"

Ryan smiled, "Someone with pants on so Gigi can't stick her hand up the chick's skirt and win."

No one noticed that Jack's mouth had fallen open. He thought he understood and yet his brain was having trouble wrapping around the fact that the woman with supermodel good looks liked women.

Casche spoke up, "Maybe we should get Gio and Nic to tell you the panty rating of each of the women in a skirt first." There was a volley of laughter from the group.

"You can't be serious," Alicia said, unconsciously tugging her skirt and looking for the boys. Junior just shook his head.

"Focus people," Ryan said. He paused for a few moments scanning the crowd and missing the look that passed between Gigi and Junior. Neither one looked like they were going to enjoy this game. "Oh yes, yes, yes. Her." Ryan pointed to a blonde in a pair of skin tight pants and a vest.

"No. Choose someone else," Gigi admonished lazily.

"Why? She's perfect."

"Cause she doesn't like di…dudes," Gigi quickly amended. She was looking for someone that would easily fall for Ryan tonight so she wouldn't have to try to play. She scanned the room and her eyes landed on a cute brunette. "What about Claudette?" Yes, the woman had expressed interest in Ryan once. So what she'd sampled the goods before? Ryan didn't know that.

"Cute. Ok. Good luck," Ryan said downing the last of his beer before sauntering towards the woman.

Gigi moved a few paces over to lean over Junior's shoulder, her face now inches from his, her arms braced on the chair arms. "Ryan is going to win, hands down."

"I'm not disappointed. With the boys here I just don't feel comfortable macking on anyone," Junior said, his voice sounding slightly sad.

Jack tried not to stare as he reached for his napkin. Wow, Bria's family was definitely diverse. He thought about getting up to find her and dance but he saw the crowd part for her return with her current dancing partners. The youngest boy, Gio, was starting to rub his eyes clearly tired. Nikki turned as soon as they reached the table and Junior stood motioning to his sons to share his seat. There was some pushing and shoving but it quickly turned into collaboration as Junior gave them a stern glare. Within five minutes, Nikki had returned with her parents in tow. She stood on top of the table, took a deep breath, and Cory let the music fade away.

"Can I have your attention please?" Nikki called out and the crowd started to turn to look at her. A few cat calls and whistles came from the crowd, making her shift uncomfortably for a moment. "My parents may not be married but everyone knows that the king of the LA street racing scene was rarely far from his queen for the last thirty years. And let's be honest, if they haven't worked on your car, then they've probably beaten your ass on the black top," there was some howling and plenty of good natured laughter, "Tonight my brother Junior and I would like you to have a Corona to honor our Mami and Papi, Letty Ortiz and Dominic Toretto."

There was a chorus of 'Hell Yeah' as Letty and Dom raised their Corona's and took long pulls from the bottles. Junior swung his sister down off the table and kissed her hair before saying, "Good job Nikki."

Dom and Letty pushed through the crowd to talk to their well wishers, giving Jack a moment to look at the flurry of movement happening at the table. Casche was slowly helping a groggy looking Summer out of her chair, before pointing to Nic and Gio to march in front of him. For a moment, Jack expected the two boys to protest but Gio was yawning in earnest and Nic's eyes drooped a bit. They looked too worn out. Bria came to sit on his lap, whispering in his ear, "Hey, wanna dance?"

Jack prided himself on watching for details. An hour after he and Bria had started to dance, he noticed that the party had definitely gotten a bit wilder as people were much more intoxicated. He went in search of some water for himself, Nikki and Bria, returning to see the girls standing with Trix, all three debating how to salvage the situation before them. Jack watched as Gigi rubbed her hands up the bare thighs of a cute brunette that was smiling slyly. It took him a moment to realize that Gigi could barely stay on her feet in her ridiculous red heels. The other brunette leaned back against Gigi and she nearly fell over. Jack watched as Nikki's head turned to glance at her brother but Junior's face was set into stony indifference. Casche and Jessie joined their group and Jessie whistled.

"Uncle Han doesn't seemed too mad about Gigi feeling up his date," Jessie commented. Jack searched the crowd, looking for the older Asian gentleman. The irritation in the man's face was minimal, just the slight tightness around his mouth.

"Still, it's not right," Bria noted.

Trix nudged her brother, gaining a raised eyebrow from Casche. "What?" she challenged. She wanted him to step in before her uncle got mad. She'd never seen Han lose it but it seemed imminent with his daughter disrespecting his date.

Jessie took a deep breath, then pushed his Corona into Nikki's slack hand with a, "Here." He walked out to the dance floor, put his arm around Gigi's waist then executed a little turn so she was dancing in his arms. The brunette looked stunned but Jessie waved her off as Gigi laughed, her arms braced on Jessie's shoulders, their faces inches from one another. She whispered in his ear and his face slowly started to flush. With a speed Jack hadn't expected, the entire group moved. Within seconds, Casche was dancing with Gigi, Trix with Jessie, Nikki with Jack, and Bria with Junior.

Gigi leaned back against Casche, allowing their bodies to align as she moved sensuously to the music, her eyes closed. She knew she was intoxicated, that she was enjoying the feeling of moving against the people she had danced with. She was no stranger to being discrete or cautious, but she'd drank a little too much trying to cover her feelings and now she wasn't too clear on what was going on around her other than the music and the strength of the man that was keeping her from falling on her face. Casche let his hands bracket her waist, ready to steady her when her drunken body would lean to far one way or the other. Gigi let her hair brush against his face, tickling his nose, teasing his lips. He knew she didn't mean it and yet he couldn't help the slight tightening in his fingers. One minute she was swaying from side to side, the next she was slowly sliding down his frame, his frozen hands moving past her ribs to under her breasts. She rose back up letting his hands slip back down her body but almost involuntarily she started rubbing her butt in a circular pattern around his front. He clenched his hands on her hips to stop the movements, almost angry with himself that he was excited that she was in his arms when he knew that she wanted someone else. Hell he wanted someone else too, Summer the woman currently asleep upstairs, her body worn out from carrying his child. In frustration he grabbed her hand, spun her around, then dipped low to put her into a fireman's hold. She laughed, and he shifted her on his shoulder, placing his hand on her ass to hold the short dress in place. He started to walk and noticed that Gigi had raised her head to talk to someone.

"Aijin," _Lover _she said in a sultry slur.

Junior's voice was difficult to read when he answered, "Time to sober up."

The trio made it up the stairs to the last door on the right. Casche tossed Gigi on the bed where she laughed again. Junior closed the door behind them just as Gigi kicked off her shoes. She slid off the bed, fumbling with the zipper on the side of her dress. Casche mumbled, "Water," then took off to get a bottle from downstairs. Junior shook his head as Gigi finally gave up, her lips falling into a comical pout.

"Nanidesuka?" _What?_ She asked as Junior walked towards her. He gently unzipped the dress, before lifting it over her head. His temperature rose as he slowly rubbed his hands down her back, gently letting his fingers trail under the band of the skimpiest pair of lace underwear he'd ever seen. Not wanting to let go, he lowered himself until she was stepping out of them and when he stood, she jumped lithely into his arms, her legs around his waist. It took Junior a minute but he made his way to the attached bathroom, placing Gigi in the shower before turning the spray on her. She looked surprised that she was showering alone but Junior didn't cave in for two reasons: first, he didn't know how long Casche would be gone and second, he really wanted her to sober up.

When he returned to the room, Casche was standing up against the door clutching a large pitcher of water and a glass. The two men looked at one another, neither knowing what to say to remove the awkwardness of the situation. The shower stopped, bringing the staring match to a brief pause. Gigi walked into the room, her hair wound up in a towel, her body clad in a terry cloth robe. Casche walked forward, poured her a glass of water thrusting it into her hand. She drank greedily, letting some of the water dribble over her chin. Once finished, she thrust the glass out for him and he filled it again as she blotted the escaped water left on her chin with the end of the towel. Once she finished the second helping, he placed the pitcher and the glass on the dresser. Junior pulled the sheets back on the bed and in classic Gigi style she dropped the robe and the towel, crawling naked into bed and pulling the covers up.

Staring at the two men, she grinned wickedly, "Watashitoisshoni puree shitai desuka? Watashiha anata." _Do you want to play with me? I would enjoy having you. _Neither man understood what she'd said but neither was willing to leave either. She laughed, letting her head fall back on the pillows beneath. Within seconds, she was out cold. Junior and Casche exchanged a look before they both left the room. Outside the door, Casche had left two bottles of Corona which he snatched up, handing one to Junior. The two men clinked their bottles together taking long steadying pulls in a sign of truce.

"Casche," Junior began, "You know you're like a brother to me." Casche nodded once, allowing Junior to continue. "I'm….Gigi and I…" Casche stopped him short.

"I know you're screwing around," Casche said simply. Junior's mouth flew open but Casche continued on calmly, "You've never been good at keeping your sex life secret dumb ass. Why do you think I kicked your ass a few weeks ago?"

Junior took a swill of his beer, choosing to go with honesty, "Because you don't want any man to touch her but you." Casche shrugged but Junior pressed, "You want her right now." Casche didn't say anything but Junior had his answer. If he hadn't followed them upstairs, he was sure that Casche would have given in to his desires, regardless of the fact that his wife was sleeping a few doors down. He was pissed at the situation and yet he couldn't fault his cousin. If he had a chance to be with Lena again he'd take it in a heartbeat, damn the consequences. Casche finished his beer not bothering to cast Junior a parting glance before he walked downstairs to rejoin the party.

Jack watched as the place started to clear out around three in the morning. Caterers started bustling around, cleaning up the dishes and clearing tables. The real cleaning crew, he knew, would be in later that day from what Bria had mentioned. Earlier he'd noticed how Bria's large family had slowly slipped away. Cory spun the last record, then only the buzz of chatter remained as the diehards started filing out of the large front doors. Jack offered to help and together with Tony they got all of the DJ equipment loaded up into a truck. Tony, Trix, and Cory immediately ran into the mansion, undoubtedly going to seek out their beds. That left Jack alone with Bria, staring into each other's eyes as the last caterers were getting ready to pull out of the drive.

"You still want to do this?" Jack asked her, rubbing a hand down to catch the tears that began to fall.

Bria had enjoyed the party immensely. Being together with family was always a highlight in her life. Too bad she hadn't had the guts to tell them that it was her last night in California as Bria O'Connor. She climbed into the car, her suitcase already packed in the trunk. As Jack walked around the car to the passenger seat she saw Nikki staring at her from the front door. Quickly she opened the car door, hopping out to hug her best friend, the tears coming harder, "Nikki…"

Nikki was crying too, but she held her cousin tight, "If you're going to do this, now is the time."

Bria nodded, pulling away to look at Nikki in the eyes. She would be the one to tell everyone tomorrow that she and Jack were moving to Virginia. Bria couldn't stand it but then again, Jack had to report to work the day after tomorrow and she refused to let him leave her behind. The cousins hugged again then Nikki ushered Bria back to the car, to her new life with Jack. "Take care of my cousin Jack." He nodded and she stepped back before grinning wide. "Hey Jack, welcome to the family." Jack and Bria laughed before pulling away from the mansion, Nikki's tears starting in earnest as soon as the taillights faded away.

Five minutes into the ride Jack looked over to check on Bria. Her face was buried in the crook of her arm resting against the window, her shoulders moving in time to her silent sobs. He'd seen her cry once before when she'd gotten the call that Nikki had gone missing and it had hurt him then to see the normally bubbly woman fall to pieces. At the ten minute mark, he chanced another glance at her then turned his head to see her still crying. Feeling sick inside he pulled over to the side of the road to pull her into his arms.

"Blondie…" he began but she cried harder. Stroking her hair he held her till the sobs slowed then stopped. "What's got you so upset Bria?"

Wiping her eyes Bria let her gaze fall onto Jack's in the dark interior of the car. She felt torn apart. How could she tell him that she was scared to leave with him, to leave her family and her life behind? The party tonight had highlighted those feelings. It had felt so good to have not only her immediate family there with her but all the people who were vital parts of her life.

Jack held her chin in his hand then sighed heavily, "You don't have to go Bria."

"But I want to," she immediately countered making him smile.

"I know," he started slowly, placing a finger to her lips when she began open with what he knew would be a litany detailing all the reason why she was going with him, "but I'll barely be there. I go out to sea very soon."

"I need to get used to it though," Bria protested, but her heart wasn't in it. It felt selfish but if she was going to be alone clear across the country, maybe spending more time here while he was away would help.

Jack sighed knowing that what he wanted and what was best were not going to be the same. When he'd asked Bria to come with him to Virginia it was because he'd known that he wanted to be with her for a lifetime. The smile she'd given him when she said yes had made leaving college for a year then picking up in Virginia worth it. But looking at the tears streaming down her face now let him know that she needed to be here, to finish here, not to run away with him on a whim. He prided himself on doing things the right way, and no matter how much he wanted to, today was not going to be the day he let himself selfishly take what he wanted. So he kissed her, long and deep, their breath melding together in comfort and farewell. They drove to the airport and he parked the car, then reached in to grab his duffel bag. Bria began to fumble for her suitcase but he steadied her trembling fingers, gently pushing her away so he could close the trunk. They walked hand in hand to the security checkpoint and Jack turned to her for another kiss.

"I'm going to miss you blondie," he told her caressing her cheek with his own, afraid to look into her eyes.

"When you get back…" Bria started but Jack kissed her again.

"We'll discuss it then, when I get back. In the mean time hurry up and start those advanced art classes ok?" Jack finally pulled away while forcing a smile on his face for her. They held on as he pulled away, finally the tips of their fingers not even long enough to bridge the space between them. And she watched him walk through the checkpoint, then around the corner, and finally made her way back to the car before she burst into a fresh wave of tears. Nikki was going to kill her, unless she'd told everyone that Bria had left with Jack, then her parents might kill her first.

Gigi woke with her head throbbing dully and a vague memory of going to bed…well passing out really…all by her lonesome. That's why when her hand fell against a body next to her she felt her heart skip into overdrive. She blinked slowly then carefully rolled over to look at her bed companion. She breathed a sigh of relief. Nikki was curled up, her hair lying messy over the pillows, her face streaked with tears.

"What's wrong Nikki," Gigi asked thickly, her voice sounding scratchy. Nikki tried to stifle her tears but they fell even thicker onto the sheets. Gigi noticed the half filled pitcher of water and the empty glass on the dresser. Carefully she got up and poured herself a glass, drinking greedily to replenish her dehydrated system. Then she poured another glass full, offering it to Nikki who took it grateful to do something else other than cry. After a few minutes, Gigi got in the shower to scrub the scent of alcohol from her skin though she knew it would seep out of her pores some more before the day was over. When she returned to the room, Nikki quickly scampered into the shower, giving Gigi time to pour over her wardrobe for the day. She'd barely finished putting on her one-inch heeled sandals when the door to the room opened up and Bria stood in the doorway, her face streaked with tears too.

"What is it with the tears today?" Gigi asked before taking in the suitcase Bria was pulling behind her. The blonde looked as if she hadn't slept a wink. Nikki entered from the bathroom and her mouth dropped open before she and Bria were embracing.

"I thought," Nikki began but Bria cut her off.

"I almost did but we decided that I should…uh…wait," Bria choked out. Her heart still felt as broken as it had two hours ago as she watched Jack board his flight to Virginia, but they'd decided that since his unit was scheduled to deploy soon anyhow, it would be silly for her to move and be alone in Virginia without him or her family. Secretly Bria had been happy that he'd suggested she stay. Although she'd been willing to go with him, it hurt and scared her to leave her family behind without a goodbye.

The cousins hugged again then noticed Gigi staring at them quizzically. This family was so full of secrets sometimes. Bria finally pulled away, yawning widely and stumbling to the shower. Gigi wasn't ready to deal with trying to figure out what was going on, so she left the bedroom, careful to close the door so they'd know they could have a private conversation. She started walking down the hall but was stopped by Casche who was leaning against the door to the room he and Summer shared the night before.

"You hung over?" he asked gruffly not taking his eyes from hers. He might as well have asked her if she remembered what happened last night.

"No." She started to walk away, expecting the conversation to be over but Casche grabbed her arm, pulling her into the room and closing the door. He pushed her against it, crowding her body between the door and himself.

Casche breathed into her hair, "Feel like playing vigilante tonight?" The question was so unexpected Gigi blinked at him for a few moments.

"Quoi?" _What?_

"I've got time to take care of some mutual business. You in?" Before her brain could figure out what he meant, she was nodding her head in agreement. He nodded once in acceptance then pulled her from the door, swinging it open then pushing her out. "Come on, I'm starvin'."

They made their way downstairs to look into the varying states of hung over faces. Casche looked outside to see Nic and Gio splashing around in the pool with Summer, Jenna, and Mia. Casche grabbed a plate and started piling it with the breakfast spread, not surprised that few people were up. Jessie was sitting at the end of the table, his head in his hands, his nose turned into the crook of his arm as if he was trying to shield it from the smells of the plate of food in front of him. The kid looked so ill it was painful to look at. Ryan already had a corona and a glass of rum in front of him, the debate of which hair of the dog was going to help fix his splitting headache.

Junior returned to the table, sitting next to Jessie then tapping the kid with his fork, "Eat your food."

Jessie didn't look up but shook his head and Tony on his other side decided to intervene, "Grease is good man. It will help soak up some of that liquor."

"Or, you could have some of what bit you," Ryan offered up, pushing his drinks towards the young man.

Jessie looked up and felt himself ready to gag at the smell of the alcohol. "I'll suffer through the food," he said grouchily. Within seconds he was forking food gingerly into his mouth.

Leon smiled, "Serves your punk ass right." Jessie flipped his father off then continued to eat, making Leon laugh again. He'd had his share of hangovers too but it was fun being able to rag on someone else, particularly his son. Man, they grew up too fast. It was almost like having his best friend back in a way. His best friend Jesse had been a bit of a smart ass too, always treated as the baby of the group even though his mind was the smartest when it came to engines or anything else car related. It had come as an unforgiveable shock to find Jesse gunned down all those years ago, but this time Leon wouldn't make the same mistakes with his son that he'd made with his best friend.

Nikki and Bria joined them for breakfast hand in hand both looking tired but not suffering from overindulgence. Dom gave them a long look trying to decide if it was worth asking what was up with them. It was so much easier to deal with a boy than a girl sometimes.

Steadily the group began to get larger, the out of town visitors eventually joining the others. Tony, Ryan, Junior and Casche decided to take pity Jessie, shuffling the kid out of the house so he could be as sick as he wanted to be in peace. The others started choosing activities to keep them occupied until dinner at the O'Connor's later.

It turned out to be a lazy summer afternoon. The sky was beating down relentless rays of sunshine as Bria, Nikki, and Trix were lazing around in the back seat of Cory's truck.

"You do realize that this car probably can't drive for shit with all this ICE in it," Nikki gripped as she vigorously tapped on buttons of the PlayStation controller. Bria cheered then laughed, her car edging Nikki out in the final turn on the racing game they were playing.

"You would be concerned about a car going fast," Bria mused.

Trix shrugged, "Eh, it gets from point A to point B. Cory's not worried about it doing much else."

"If you say so," Nikki said pissed beyond belief. "You know Bria I think you're cheating."

"_What…_," Bria said laughing her eyebrows rising in mock innocence.

"There ain't no way you could beat me that many times."

"Gosh Nikki, it's just a stupid game. You know you're better on the streets regardless."

"Pfft. I dunno, something tells me you're trying to snake me."

Bria grinned unable to hide the smile on her face, "Well…we could test it out…if you want."

"Um, tempting as that is," Nikki said passing the controller towards Trix who waved it off, "I think I'm just going to, um, see you test your hand against Junior first."

"Way to punk out," Bria quipped. She was feeling a lot better since she'd explained to Nikki how Jack had given her an out.

They played until it was time for dinner, and as Bria sat down she looked around at her family, knowing that she wanted to say grace that night. Grabbing the rolls first, she crossed herself and prayed, "Dear Lord, thank you for family, friends, love and life. Amen."


	18. Vingette 1

**Disclaimer: **Don't own. Don't sue. Thanks!

**Vignette # 1**

Three people stood in the darkness, the crescent moon doing just enough to keep them from being invisible. Not that anyone sane or law abiding would be out here to begin with.

"You weren't supposed to kill him." The comment was said lazily with a slight hint of exasperation. There was a grunt in the darkness followed by a brief pause.

"So, we supposed to feel sorry now?" a second voice asked sarcastically, "And a shrug isn't an answer."

The first person laughed at how well they knew each other, "Annoyed. Dead weight is harder to carry."

There was a rustling as the scene was prepped and finally the second voice asked, "Feeling less hostile?"

The grunt came again and the first voice drawled, "Guess that's a no."

The grunter finally answered, "at least I didn't shoot 'em."

"Yep, that's a real consolation to him," the second voice agreed.

The small headline caught Dom's eye two days later, the story barely registering as worthy news as he drank his coffee. 'LOCAL YOUTH MAULED IN STATE PARK'. He skimmed the copy idly until the name in the active made him return to read it with his full attention. 'Los Angeles native Jordan Todd was found dead in an obscure part of the park, his neck broken and body badly mangled by wild animals. Investigators suspect Todd was unable to flee the animals after his leg was caught in a metal trap, forcing him to fall and hit his neck against a nearby boulder'.

"Papi, what's with the face?" Nikki's question startled him into action.

Dom threw down the paper and shook his head, "I gotta stop reading this shit."


	19. Matters pt 2

**Disclaimer: **Don't own. Don't sue. Thanks!

**Matters (pt 2)**

"Hi Uncle Han," Nikki greeted weeks after the party was finally over. He hugged her smiling over her head at the rest of the Ortiz/Toretto clan as the filed into the penthouse. He missed his friends from Tokyo but it was nice for routines to return.

"We're early," Letty said as she went into the kitchen to relieve her arms of the gigantic bowl of paella.

"Sort of," he mused as music began to blast all over the place. The boys immediately covered their ears and Junior frowned.

"Guess that's Gigi," Dom said as they walked into the living room, expecting the girl to be standing there waiting for them. But the room was empty save for their presence. Han shook his head waiting for the music to go down a few decibels.

"She's downstairs playing around with the intercom." Sure enough a few seconds the music adjusted to comfortable levels. Georgeanne ran up the stairs, perfect looking as always in a pair of short shorts and a tank top that didn't reach the top of her shorts. She had on a large anklet and two large gold hoops to match in her ears. Her left arm had over a dozen bracelets adorning it which clinked together musically when she moved.

"Sounds good," Han said slowly.

"It should. It's coming from your room."

"Impressive," he said lazily.

"Glad you think so. I'll have the guys come in and pull up the carpet so the cords can go underneath."

"You hanging with us tonight Gigi?" Nikki asked. Georgeanne had started avoiding family functions as soon as the big party was over. The woman shrugged then pressed the button to mute the intercom's play in the living room. They heard the doorbell ring.

"I got it," she said letting her legs skip the small stairs leading up to the hallway. She threw the door open to Trix and Cory.

"Nice," Trix said dryly taking in Georgeanne's outfit. The girl looked great bumming around. Georgeanne shrugged then braced herself against the doorjamb as the elevator opened to deposit most of the O'Connor's. Mia, Brian, and Ryan passed her, Ryan tugging her hair lightly to make her smile. She ran back in the room, pressing the intercom button again to flood the room with music then flitted downstairs to turn off the source, stop the music completely. She tested the system to see if she could listen to the music in her room from Han's, pleased to find that the system had been set up as she asked. She had them set up a program that could mute the sound coming from one's bedroom if they wished. It took a special code to unlock the mute block and you had to be in the room in question to do it. Ahh privacy.

Making her way down the hall to her closet she stood in the doorway, deciding whether she should put on clothes and go out or stay in. She didn't want to be close to Summer or Casche. Casche and Junior had fought and made up but Summer still harbored ill will, guessing correctly that the fight had involved Georgeanne. She accessed a playlist stored in the intercom unit then asked it to play exclusively in her closet. She tapped her foot listening to her anklet jingle in time to the beat. Feeling inspired by India, she pulled on an indigo sari blouse that stopped right below her breasts. She found the matching skirt, the hem which dipped to show off her navel but caressed her hips. The band near her waist was light gold, the lining of the skirt the same indigo as the top, but there was a sheer silk covering that that shimmered gold in the light. She decided not to finish it off with the matching scarf, knowing that she could grab it if she wished to go out instead then headed upstairs to spend time with her family. She had to gather the skirt up to keep it from under her feet as she ascended the spiral staircase. The rest of the group was there, minus Bria who was at school.

Han noticed Georgeanne's get up first, "Noël?"

Georgeanne shook her head, "One of my client's owns a sari shop."

"You take presents from your clients," Tony smiled.

"I paid retail for this," Georgeanne shot back.

"All of it?" Trix asked pointing at the bangles. Georgeanne raised her arm letting them slide down towards her elbow as she shook her head again.

"Can you tell us how you got them?" Mia asked shrewdly.

"There are children present," Georgeanne replied with a wry grin. There was general laughter at the statement. She ended up staying in, having fun even though she avoided Casche and Summer. Unable to resist she sidled up to Junior when they popped in a movie. They hadn't been together in weeks, their schedules not linking up. There was plenty of speculation but neither one confirmed it or made any moves to make their exploits public. Almost three months of exclusivity but no other labels and Georgeanne had no desire to be with anyone else, regardless of how long she had to wait to get him between the sheets.

They sat on the floor: his back braced against the couch, her sitting between his legs to lean against his chest. Thirty minutes in, Gio came to sit beside Gigi before he laid his head in her lap. Absently she placed her bangle laden arm around his shoulder, letting her fingers slowly run through his hair repeatedly until he slept. Nic realizing that he was starting to feel sleepy too got up to talk to his dad. He watched his Aunt Gigi lying against his dad, stroking his brother's hair. Just like his mom. He felt his heart break. He loved Aunt Gigi, he really did, but he didn't want her to replace his mom, to take his mom's special jobs from her. It didn't matter that his mom was dead, she couldn't be replaced and he didn't want a replacement.

Making his way over to his dad Nic did his best to keep his voice down, "Dad, I wanna go home."

Junior looked at his eldest son, taking in the pout on the kid's lips then stared at the time. It was almost ten-thirty, late for them but nothing they hadn't endured before. "Well go in a little while."

Nic frowned, "But I wanna go now."

"Relax, we'll leave soon."

"Dad," Nic whined.

"Son," Junior said back slowly.

"I don't want to stay here. I want to go to bed," Nic said a little louder now.

"I get that. Wait."

"You can crawl into my bed," Georgeanne offered to the cranky boy.

"No. I won't."

"Nic, cool it now," Junior told his son in a tone that would normally stop him. But tonight Nic was feeling desperate to get his dad to leave, to keep his hands off Aunt Gigi, to keep Gio from getting to comfortable, to make sure Aunt Gigi knew they didn't need another mom.

"Daddy, please let's go. I don't wanna be here. I wanna be in my bed," he yelled feeling embarrassed when faces turned to look at him.

"Nic," his Abuelo called out in warning. Junior's hand curled into the fabric of Nic's shirt to pull the kid closer to his face.

"Sit down, be quiet, and wait. I'm not telling you again," Junior said deliberately in a tone that rang with finality.

"I hate you Daddy," Nic said before he started crying. Junior let him go, feeling uneasy as the boy sank down beside him, burying his face in his knees. Georgeanne reached for Nic, to place her hand on his head but he shrank away. "Go away, you're not my mom."

"I haven't forgotten that," Georgeanne told him quietly. She shook Gio awake, surprised the boy hadn't woken in all of the commotion. He looked disoriented then alarmed when he took in his brother sobbing. Nic always picked on him about being a crybaby but right now his big brother was doing all the crying.

"What's wrong Daddy?" Gio asked tentatively.

"We're going home," Junior said standing up to take Gio's hand, "Come on Nic." Georgeanne watched them retrieve their jackets then walk out of the door. Nic clearly saw something going on between his dad and Georgeanne although he'd misinterpreted their lust for love. She didn't want to try to replace Lena. She didn't even know if she wanted to have children. This was getting complicated and she was suddenly happy that they never told anyone about what they were doing. She didn't want to deal with Nic and Gio hating her too. She'd given monogamy a try and now it was time for her to break things off with Junior before it went too far.

Unwilling to wait, her heart heavy, she stood up. Han called out to her, "Where you going?"

"Out," she said anxiously. She slipped into shoes by the door, grabbing her keys and leaving without anything else. The elevator ride felt long tonight. It made her feel the need to run to her car to make up for the time. She sped out of the garage then let instinct overtake her as she raced through the streets to his house, to end things before he went to sleep, while her nerve was up. She pulled into up to the curb, forcing herself to breathe deep before she walked to the back door. Her knock felt strong and loud but she wondered if he could hear it from down in the basement. Apparently he had because he answered the door looking confused at her presence.

"Where are the boys?" she asked not wanting to have them overheard.

"In their beds, asleep," he said wearily, "What are you doing here?"

"I don't know," she said suddenly. She was supposed to be breaking things off but she looked at his face in the darkened kitchen and lost her resolve.

"I'm going to talk to Nic tomorrow. He shouldn't have…"

"It's true. I'm not Lena."

"I know," Junior responded darkly. Lena hadn't been as high maintenance as Georgeanne. Being with Lena had been easy, their partnership simple, his life more carefree and the burden of raising two boys easier to bear. His three months with Georgeanne hadn't been quiet as easy. He'd had to fight Casche for her, risk the fallout of their family, and pretend he didn't want more from her than exclusive sex. And tonight, hearing his son flip out at the prospect of another woman filling the space his mom had vacated made him anxious. Not because he wanted to end things with Georgeanne, but because he knew he'd have to endure the boy's anger when he explained that he was going to date other women. He would never replace Lena but he was going to start moving on, open their lives to another woman and Nic would have to deal.

"Kokoro kara anata o aishite imasu," _I love you very much_, she told him softly walking up to him to seal their lips together. He didn't understand what she told him but felt the sincerity in her kiss. Somewhere between frustration and confusion he cupped the back of her head, angling her so he could control the pressure. He felt her sigh against his mouth then smile. The bangles clinked together as her hands slid under his shirt fingers teasing his stomach. He tensed feeling heat flush through him. They hadn't been alone in at least three weeks and he wanted her with irrational ferociousness. He started rubbing his hand over her bare back and stomach, using the exposure of her belly button to mimic what he wanted to do to her with his thumb. She wiggled to move closer to him, one hand already unbuttoning his jeans.

"Not here," he whispered to her kissing her neck but trying to drag her skirt up so he could move his hand between her legs. She moaned softly looking into his eyes.

"Please," she asked unzipping the tight top so he could fondle her breasts. He groaned into her shoulder, feeling his resolve slip.

"Can you be quiet," he begged. She nodded and he led her downstairs to his room locking the door so they wouldn't be interrupted. They were naked in less than a minute, his fingers already sliding between her legs finding plenty of wetness there. She whimpered when he turned her to face the wall, placing her hands against it, making her tilt over gently. His hands ran over her arms, shoulders then cupped her breasts. He kissed her back mumbling soft words over her that she couldn't hear. She wiggled her ass against his dick and he squeezed her breasts to divert his attention from groaning out loud. He grabbed her hips, positioned himself then plunged into her. She opened her mouth begging the sound not to fall from her lips. She wanted to move against him but he held her still. She felt herself getting excited listening to their skin meeting, the clink of her bracelets, his breath hitching, her breath skipping. He was holding back, she could feel it but she didn't want him to. Her hands slid down the wall, bending her body further. Two of his responding groans went unchecked before he curbed himself. She felt him going deeper and faster now and felt herself building towards a monster orgasm, unable to help herself. She bit her lip to try and hold it together but he was really turning her on now, pushing her relentlessly.

"Watashi o ai shiteimasu ka?" _Do you love me? _She cried out, the words coming out in choppy pieces each louder than the last. She couldn't help herself. She came only able to stop screaming after the first initial burst. Junior didn't stop but she knew he was past the point of caring, his pace so quick she didn't know how he could stand it. He stuck his hand back between her legs, playing with her, knowing this would be the fastest way to get her to come again. He wasn't going to last much longer. He felt her tightening around him and he gave up, his face growing taught in the throes of ecstasy. Unable to curb his emotions he whispered her name over and over, until the pulsing finally stopped, till he could finally relax. They barely made it to his bed to fall over, both incredibly sated, passing out in seconds.

It was just after sunrise when Junior helped Georgeanne put on her clothes. Her hair was a mess they'd attempted to tame with their fingers but Junior found his mouth and body becoming eager to start the day off tangling it further. He groaned when she bent over to put on her shoes and she smiled at him. Once out the kitchen door, he paused against the side of the house to plant a long kiss on her lips, let his hand cup her breast, feel her push closer to him.

"We can finish this right now," he told her playfully nipping at her neck. She groaned.

"Yah huh," she mocked before whispering in his ear, "You want me to turn around again?"

He ground his erection into her hissing, "You are so much trouble."

She grinned as he pulled away shoving her down the drive and smacking her behind for good measure. The adults would know that she'd spent the night, her car sitting on the curb. But they didn't need proof that they were having sex. Georgeanne jumped in her car and sped away, looking for a shower and plotting a way to get more time alone with Junior. He hadn't asked what she'd said last night and she had conveniently forgotten to tell him. But he asked again when he had her pinned to her bed later that night.

Junior had been on her doorstep waiting when she returned from work at six-thirty. She had felt tired but relaxed all day, able to finish up her expense reports before they'd become past-due, handle a grumpy client, find a fantastic lounging couch done up in damask for her personal collection. Her pulse had started to race when she stepped off the elevator and he was leaning against the door. She kissed him and he turned her to face the door his hands restless on her back as she opened it. They hurried downstairs to her room and she let him strip her in the waning sunshine coming through her completely open window. There was a feeble attempt to pretend that he wasn't affecting her: she took the discarded clothes to the hamper in her closet but he followed. She stripped him before pushing him on the chaise, straddling him before he could protest. Today he let her ride him, the position powerful for her and his arms free to caress her all over. She made him come first this time laughing at his impatience. Rather than cover up she stood, pointing him to the bed then turned her back to fiddle around with the intercom, turning on music before crawling into bed with him.

A short nap later and then she was crawling down his body again to wake him with her mouth. He tangled his hands in her hair and had trouble keeping his eyes open when she started to suck. There was a tense moment when she cupped his balls where he lifted his hips and pushed her head down to bury himself deeper. Georgeanne thought he was going to relieve himself right in her mouth and it made her pull back abruptly. She wasn't ready for that.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked cupping her face and looking for pain. She shook her head blushing for him for the first time. He didn't believe her pulling her down so they could lie with her curled against his side. Fingers trailed up and down her spine, across his chest the contact comforting. Eventually he rolled her over, lying on his side and intertwining their legs. Fingers now brushed against his arm, along her stomach. "Gigi, what did you ask me last night?"

"I asked you something?" she teased.

"Well you screamed it," he responded dipping his fingers in turn into her belly button.

"I didn't scream anything, I was being quiet remember?"

"Yeah," he rolled his eyes bending down to kiss her mouth. He trailed kisses down her neck and chest before he spoke again, "Willing to translate?"

"It was more of the nonsense you claim I mutter."

Junior didn't look convinced pausing to look at her eyes before teasing her nipples with his teeth. His hand decided to slip between her legs, opening them so he could watch himself play. She groaned trying to reach for him but he trapped her hands above her head. Great, she was pinned down.

"Junior," she purred.

"Hmm," he responded absently watching her hips and legs start to get restless, her breathing moving her body now.

"I want to participate."

"You are," he grinned, "you're talking, I'm listening."

"Do I matter?" she asked. He pulled his hand away.

"Yes. Was that the question?"

"No. Does it matter?"

"It might," he mused his eyes turning serious, "I'm tired of sneaking around."

"Discretion is not sneaking."

"This matters to me. I talked to Nic and Gio about me starting to date again. It made me realize it will hurt worse if people find out by accident."

Georgeanne stared at the ceiling. He was talking about committing again but it didn't make her skin crawl as it would have a few months before. She sighed, "Will you fuck me if I promise we can label ourselves later?"

"Define later," Junior grinned.

"After we catch our breath," she smirked. Junior let her up so she could straddle his hips and let her ride him again. This time it was slow, each of them teasing the other. Georgeanne was trying to prolong the inevitable discussion and found a short while later that she didn't want to. Junior had turned her around so she sat with her back to him. It had taken her a few tries to rock against him right but she felt herself getting enthusiastic for the new position. Arching her back to push him deeper she felt him wind a hand around her hip so he could slip his fingers between her legs, elicit more moans from her. Her hair was swinging across his stomach and chest and his hand started smacking her ass making her buck in delight. The wildness of her response was contagious sending him over the edge seconds before she followed.

Neither moved, both trying to get their breathing back to normal. Her cell phone rang, the tone the one she reserved for Han and the house line. Picking up she noticed he was calling her from inside the penthouse, reasoning that he must have heard her.

"Han," she greeted him still trying to catch her breath.

"I don't normally uh," Han drawled entertained like he was trying to keep from bursting into laughter, "disrupt your recreation time but you're embarrassing my guests."

Junior moved his hands to slide completely out of her and she felt herself involuntarily groan, "Ojama shimasu," _Sorry to disturb you._

Han took in the uncomfortable faces of Dom, Vince, Leon and Brian before he laughed at his daughter, "Kookai shinai de," _Don't be sorry._ Disconnecting the call he shook his head.

"You're being real…" Vince trailed off unable to think of a good word to encompass Han's attitude.

"Blasé," Han supplied.

Dom rubbed his shoulder in discomfort, "It doesn't bother you to hear your daughter uh…"

"I already know she's having plenty of sex," Han said being purposefully obtuse, entertained by their sudden bashfulness. Little did they know he'd heard and seen worse from his daughter in this department.

"Knowing it happens and hearing it are two separate things," Brian said slowly shaking his head.

"I don't know how you're so calm. I'd be wringing Nikki's neck and breaking the buster in half," Dom said scowling.

"Would the same apply for Junior?" Han asked playing devil's advocate.

"In my house, yeah," Dom said with a rueful smile, "Letty would kick his teeth in."

"So ya'll have never walked in on your kids having sex before?"

"No," Brian, Dom, Leon, and Vince all said together.

"I guess it's different for you since Gigi prefers her own gender," Brian told Han thinking aloud.

"It wouldn't matter either way," he replied honestly, "she's a big girl."

"Still must be nice not to worry about her getting knocked up," Vince admitted. The fear had been on his mind ever since he'd learned he had a daughter. Trix's arrival had changed a lot of his feelings about rules and curfews, things he'd rarely imposed on Casche. Vince's fear had doubled since he found out Trix was married to a guy from Vegas.

"Thank God I have a son," Leon said taking a swig from his beer. Vince tossed his beer cap at the wiry man.

Han laughed, "Our relationship is different, more roommates than father-daughter. She allows me to be free, not disrupting my life and to thank her for that I don't interfere in hers."

Brian turned Han's words over in his mind, "I'm a pretty calm dude but I still feel weird knowing my niece is down there bumping pelvises with someone else, while we're sitting around."

"You know Han we could demonstrate exactly how we'd react on Gigi and her friend," Dom offered with a grin.

"So you have some pointers," Vince added.

Han laughed again, shaking his head, "Don't start."

Meanwhile Junior and Georgeanne were in her shower, his fingers sliding through her hair as he applied conditioner.

"So how do I say 'girlfriend' in Japanese?" he asked grinning. She'd agreed to take their relationship public, deciding that they wouldn't deny allegations from this point forward rather than make a declaration.

"Gaaru furendo," Georgeanne replied shuddering at the name.

"Relax, I won't 'label' you," he said turning her so the spray could rinse her hair. He was feeling affectionate, reveling in this time alone with her before the rest of the world intruded.

She kissed his chest, resting her forehead against his shoulder, "I can deal with 'aijin'."

"Aijin," he repeated slowly, "what's that mean?"

"Lover," she smiled into his chest.

"That's appropriate," he said rolling his eyes. They dried off then went to dress. Georgeanne was still in her closet searching for something to wear when he finished throwing on his clothes. "Don't tell me you don't have anything to wear."

Sticking out her tongue was juvenile but oddly satisfying. Choosing a pair of loose flowing pants and a matching wrap top she dressed. She needed to get some work done and her work bench was upstairs. Not knowing who Han's guests were or whether they were still around, she assumed she should be decently clothed just in case. The TV was loud enough for them to hear the announcers gearing up for the football game. Georgeanne rethought her decision to work upstairs, vowing she would take a nap until the game was over before she stared. The couple reached the top of the stairs, Georgeanne prepared to saunter past Han and his friends quickly until Junior stepped up behind her, placing his hand rigidly on the middle of her back. Turning her head to the left she got a good look at all of her uncles sitting in the living room, each one shocked. Well Uncle Dom looked livid.

"Guess that changes your answer Dom. Turns out you did hear you kid having sex," Han said to cover his shock. Of all the people Goergeanne could have picked, she chose Junior. None of these people were related to him by blood but for all intensive purposes they were the closest thing he had to family. And she had just slept with a guy he considered his nephew. "Georgeanne Jiao…"

"Don't start," she cut him off.

"I thought you two weren't…" Vince said sourly.

"We all thought you liked girls Gigi," Leon clarified.

"I do. I'm trying something different," Georgeanne replied.

"How long you been trying?" Dom asked trying to hold his temper in. It bothered him that they had lied to everyone, snuck around. Couldn't they see how their relationship would affect everyone, possibly tear things apart if it didn't work out?

"Today," Junior supplied. Technically they'd decided to label it while they were in the shower. Dom scowled knowing Junior had purposefully not answered his real question, '_how long you been screwing her?'_

Han stared into Georgeanne's impassive face and sighed, "You're such a cradle robber."

It was true Georgeanne was a year older than Junior she smirked, "Gizensha," _hypocrite._

Leon started laughing hysterically pointing at Han, "Ah brother, guess you do have to worry about her getting knocked up. Junior's fertile as hell."

Brian and Vince joined in unable to contain their glee. Han's mouth twisted into a half smile at Georgeanne's frown. His daughter didn't want kids, never expressed an interest. How ironic she would choose the cousin with kids over the one without them.

"Dom, stop stressing. Gigi and Junior know each other well enough not to confuse this one off as something more permanent," Han commented.

Junior gave Han a hard glare but Georgeanne started yelling, "C'est cette merde! Pourquoi avez-vous tous que je n'ai pas de sentiments? Je ne suis pas un putain de machine. Vous êtes aussi mauvais que ma mere. J'en ai marre. Ma vie est bouleversée, et tout ce que vous pouvez faire, c'est de rire."_ This is such shit! Why do you all think I don't have feelings? I am not a fucking machine. You are as bad as my mother. I am fed up. My life is turned upside down and all you can do is poke fun. _The men just stared at her. Georgeanne didn't understand why she couldn't stop yelling at them in French. Yet it made perfect sense to Han. French was the language Georgeanne had spent the most time being yelled at in.

She turned and slapped Junior in the stomach, yelling at him too, "Vous heureux maintenant? Vous avez fait de moi une bête de sexe féminin."_ You happy now? You've turned me into a silly female._ And then she threw up her hands and huffed.

Junior finally broke the silence, "Care to translate aijin?"

Han had been doing well, taking their little love affair in stride. The little endearment pissed him off. Junior knew her well enough to get her to call her a pet name. One word changed the status quo, made him fear for the first time that his daughter might consider some other man first in her life. Jealousy swept him. There had never been a threat when Georgeanne was pre-occupied with working her way through the female population. He stood to look Junior in the eye for the first time seeing a real contender for his little girl's affections.

Dom stood to, recognizing a change had come over his best friend. And no matter how angry he was with Junior he didn't want to see the two men come to blows. Georgeanne threw up her hands, placing them gently on her dad's chest, stepping between him and Junior. "Don't be stupid," she told him shaking her head. She reached up to whisper in so low Han's ear that no one else could hear, "I think I'm in love."

"Get out," Han yelled at Junior.

"Han," Brian called out sensing the man's anger.

"Otōsan!" Georgeanne exclaimed expecting to step away but Han gripped her, holding her in a tight hug. This wasn't happening to him. The strongest and best relationship he had in his life was not going to be stolen from him. He was too selfish to let it.

"I'd prefer if you slept with other women Georgeanne," he told her then he stared at Junior, "Why are you still here!"

Vince put a hand on Han's shoulder and he let her go. She stepped back, grabbing Junior's hand and walking him to the elevator. Rather than apologize she kissed him. "That went well." They laughed until the elevator doors separated them.


	20. Epic Struggle pt 4

**Disclaimer: **Don't own. Don't sue. Thanks!

**Epic Struggle of Man Versus Woman (pt 4)**

Dominique!" The panicked voice on the other end was familiar, although the accent was very heavy. Gigi didn't usually use her full name either. She heard noise in the background then the wail of a siren. Sitting bolt upright she focused on the call.

"Gigi, where are you?"

"Je vais à l'hôpital. Quelque chose ne va pas avec le bébé." _I'm going to the hospital. Something is wrong with the baby._

"Gigi, calm down I don't understand," Nikki said calmly even though she was popping out of bed, grabbing her pants, changing into a shirt, grabbing her keys. There were a few moments of silence and then a calm male voice spoke to her.

"Hello. Are you a friend or family?"

"Family. What's going on?"

"Can you translate French?"

"No. She speaks English she just needs to calm down. Who is this and where is Gigi?"

"My name is Walters and I am one of the EMT's taking your relative to the emergency room. She's showing signs of labor. Do you know how far along she is?"

Nikki felt her hands go cold. "Thirty weeks," Nikki said immediately. She knew. She was Gigi's birthing coach. "I'm on my way."

"Ok miss. Just drive safely. We've got things under control on our end ok."

Disconnecting Nikki forced herself to drive the speed limit, afraid that she would hurt herself if she drove like her panic wanted her to. At the first stop light she started going down a mental roll call of where everyone was. Junior's cell went to voicemail immediately. He was out of town with Nic, Gio and Vince to watch a two day racing series at Palmdale. Come to think about it most of the family was out of town. Dom and Letty were in Baja on vacation. Han was in Tokyo on business. Bria and her husband Jack now lived in Virginia. Trix and Cory were visiting in Vegas. Jenna and Leon were in Texas moving Jessie into college. There were a few people she could call. Nikki dialed the familiar number to the O'Connor house, praying her Aunt Mia and Uncle Brian were home.

" 'Ello," mumbled her laid back Uncle Brian.

"Uncle Bri," Nikki said in relief.

"Nikki?" he sounded like he was dragging himself out of a very deep sleep.

"Nikki," her Aunt Mia's voice, alert and concerned came over the line.

"Aunt Mia, could you meet me at the hospital? Gigi's on her way. She might be in labor," Nikki rushed out pulling into the hospital parking lot. She wasn't sure how she got there.

"We're not in town. We forwarded the phone to Brian's cell. Where's Junior?"

"Palmdale with the boys." Nikki heaved a frustrated sigh, "Do you know if Tony or Ryan are home?" She was desperate to have someone with her, to support her sister-in-law.

"We all came to Alicia's parents surprise wedding anniversary party in Seattle." Nikki ground her teeth in frustration. She loved Alicia, Tony's wife, but of all the nights for the family to be out of town...

"Nikki, where is everyone?"

"Out of town. Look I'll call if I have any info. I'm going to head in."

There was a pause as the phone was passed again, Brian speaking to her sounding fully alert, "We can fly down first thing and I can call..."

Nikki quickly vetoed the idea, "No! Just enjoy yourselves. I'll be fine. I just panicked." Hospitals did not give her the warm and fuzzies. Too much emotional pain had occurred in them.

"You sure?"

Nikki squared her shoulders and steeled herself. She was an Ortiz-Toretto. Her parents didn't run from shit and neither would she. "Yes. I'll call you later to give an update."

They murmured goodbyes and she disconnected the call. There was only one name left on her list and given their odd history Nikki debated not calling him at one in the morning to see if he would come. Between her observations and the comments Junior had made she know that Casche would be there for Gigi in an instant. The problem wasn't him, it was his wife Summer. Summer and Gigi had a slightly less than extremely hostile relationship that was a by-product of some misunderstood jealousies and unresolved hurt feelings. Summer wasn't the type to withhold help or stand in the way of family solidarity but she tended to act unpredictably when it came to Gigi. Nikki didn't know how that dynamic would factor into her plea for help so she decided to walk into the hospital first, assess the situation then call as needed.

Walking to the counter she asked for status on Gigi and was directed to wait. The nurse gave her wide pitying eyes. The coldness spread. A doctor walked up to her and she blinked ready to hear any news, regardless of its severity.

"Are you Mrs. Toretto's family?" the doctor asked briskly.

"Yes."

"We are unable to stop the contractions so we are prepping her for a cesarean. Is the father coming soon?"

"No. He's out of town but I am ready to fill in. I'm Georgeanne's birthing coach."

"Who are you exactly?" The doctor asked. It always paid to err on the side of suspicion.

"Her sister-in-law, Dominique Ortiz-Toretto. And you are?" she said with confidence.

The doctor smiled, "Dr. Lane. Well let's get you suited up so we can bring your niece or nephew into the world."

They walked briskly down the hallways stopping at a room where Nikki could hear Gigi muttering incoherently in a combination of French and Japanese. A nurse gave her a set of nondescript scrubs which she donned quickly. She had to put on a cap, mitts for her shoes and scrub her hands vigorously. They finally let her into the room with Gigi whose hand was already being held by a cute dark haired EMT, or at least she thought he had dark hair given his eyebrows. She took a place at Gigi's side.

"Dominique I am so sorry. I want Junior. We didn't pick a name yet. It's too soon," Gigi's eyes were filled with panic.

Gigi's hand was placed in Nikki's by the EMT and stepped back. Gigi got agitated. "Non. Stay, please. I need your help," she cried out. The man put his hand on Gigi's arm, patting her gently.

"Don't worry ma'am. I'm not going anywhere, promise." Nikki expected him to bolt and was surprised that he was willing to stay and help a keep a stranger from flipping out.

"Shh Gigi I'm here now. Try to relax. Doctor Lane is going to do her best for you ok?" It took a few minutes to get Gigi calm enough to release her crushing grip. Nikki felt the EMT tap her arm with something cool, a towel for Gigi's face. Wiping at the sweat, she reminded the brunette to remain calm. Although she had to turn away when she saw the doctor put the scalpel to Gigi's skin, she kept whispering reassurances. This had to be fine, it just had to be. She was the only one here. The procedure felt like it too forever but really it was mere minutes before the baby was removed, the placenta cut, and the throat cleared. There was a small wailing sound.

"You did it Gigi," Nikki told her awestruck. She smiled down at Gigi but the woman just stared at the ceiling, tears silently coursing down her face. "Gigi?" The doctor began to sew Gigi's skin together but Nikki was concerned at the brunette's too smooth face.

"Congratulations Georgeanne," Doctor Lane told her, "you have a six pound, five ounce baby girl." Georgeanne didn't say anything, just blinked at the doctor. Doctor Lane frowned. "Are you feeling ok Georgeanne?"

"Noël will never forgive me the scar," Gigi said glumly. Nikki rubbed Gigi's arm but the gesture was lost on the woman.

"How is my niece," Nikki asked softly to the stunned doctor.

"Undernourished. We'll need to monitor her lungs and such, normal procedure for preemies. If she is healthy and eats, she should be ready to go home in a day or two."

"What about her?" the EMT spoke up at Nikki's side pointing to Gigi.

"After the drugs wear off I hope she'll perk up," Doctor Lane said carefully, "but we should be ready to discuss post-partum depression regardless in the morning."

Nikki nodded. A nurse wheeled Gigi out to a private room and Nikki pulled off her gear. She began to walk towards the elevator but stopped to call out the EMT. He stopped and she gave him a small smile.

"Thanks…"

"Walters."

"Walters, right. Thanks for staying and keeping her calm."

"No problem. My squad has a soft spot for babies," he said with a grin, a small dimple showing, "I'm off duty so no harm done."

Nikki backed away waving, "Uh well thanks again." Not bothering to wait for a response she walked back towards the elevator, determined not stop until she reached Gigi's bedside. It was three am. The procedure didn't take very long. Gigi was sleeping but it looked like it was the sleep of necessity. Nikki opened her phone surprised to see the message light blinking. Exhausted but curious, Nikki crawled into the second hospital bed reserved for the new father but being claimed by her instead.

"You have ten new messages. First message sent today at 1:43 am," the digital mail assistant said.

"Nikki, it's Papi," her dad's strong voice started, "Mia called. Let me know if you need us at home."

"Next message sent today at 1:44 am," the message assistant continued.

"Nikki, it's Mami," her mom's strong but agitated voice rung out over the phone, "Papi and I are driving home later this morning," she heard her dad in the background mumbling something that earned him a smack, most likely in the arm by the sound, "Against my better judgment." Nikki grinned to herself. Her mom sounded like she wanted to come home right away.

"Next message sent today at 1:51 am."

"Hi Nikki, its Trix. Listen, Cory and I are going to be there as soon as my shading is done, okay. See ya in a couple of hours. Bye."

"Next message sent today at 1:55 am."

"Isn't it a bit early for this?" Jessie's smartass comment made Nikki want to laugh. She was definitely saving this message to play for Gigi later.

"Next message sent today at 1:56 am."

Jenna's tone was exasperated, "Call me back. I want to know if Jessie's playing a trick on me. Wait," there was a pause for a few seconds while Leon mumbled in the background. Jenna's voice switched to excitement, "Never mind Letty called. Call me later to update me."

"Next message sent today at 2:12 am."

"What's going on baby girl?" Vince's voice and tone were unmistakable. He was worried.

"Next message sent today at 2:17 am."

"Nikki, it's Bria. You call my parents before you call me? Nice. Anyway, give my love to Gigi and the baby. I expect a full report, sandwiched between Junior's debrief and everyone else's. Love you!"

"Next message sent today at 2:20 am."

"Aunt Nikki," Gio's voice sounded very sleepy, "Daddy's phone died earlier. Uncle Vince said we had to come home. Is Gigi having our baby yet?" Nikki laughed to herself. She heard the rustling of people moving around quickly then the phone changed hands.

"Sis, I'm on my way now," he paused for a short moment, "It's too soon. We don't have a name picked yet. Thanks for being there."

"Next message sent today at 2:40 am."

"I am in the hospital lobby Nikki," Casche's low menacing growl made her sit up in the bed. She stared at the clock on the phone noticing it was ten after three. He'd be livid by now. She raced to the elevator, the ride down quick in the quiet hospital. She spotted him at the visitors waiting area his face stony. Unwilling to get closer she turned and knowing he would follow, the elevator ride was going to be interesting. The doors had barely clanged shut when he placed his fingers on her chin, pulling her face to his angry one.

Grasping for her nonchalant tone, Nikki tossed out to him, "What?"

He shook his head in a 'try again' sort of way. She scowled at his high handedness. The elevator opened and he let go, marching silently behind her to Gigi's room. Gigi was sitting up, a nurse in the room cooing to a baby crying gently in a hospital basinet.

"Are you sure dear? Your daughter is so precious and very hungry. You should really try to get her to latch to the nipple," the nurse told Gigi in a warm persuasive tone. The baby's cries started to get louder and Gigi finally turned her head to look at the basinet, but her eyes found Casche and Nikki instead.

"Find the child some milk, her Aunt can feed her," Gigi said hollowly her mouth frowning. Nikki felt a prickle of unease. That wasn't the attitude she had expected from the new mom. The nurse sighed, shaking her head sadly then turned to leave the room for the milk, then paused to take in Casche. The nurse's mouth popped open in pure appreciation for the dangerous man. Nikki felt her eyes dying to roll at the way the twenty-something woman drug her eyes over his body, taking in the ring on his finger with disappointment.

"Hello. You must be the aunt," the nurse said to Nikki before addressing Casche, "And you're the father?"

Casche crossed his arms, shook his head once and sniffed. Nikki watched Gigi struggle to lie down then look away from them. "Could you get some milk please?" Nikki asked the request coming out with more bite than necessary. Stress and lack of sleep were really starting to affect her. The moment the nurse walked away Casche moved over to pick up the little girl and rock her, his love of kids unable to leave his niece-by-proxy uncomforted. The bottle was returned by the nurse who didn't bother making small talk, letting them know they could keep the baby there or buzz for her to bring the baby back to the nursery. But they kept the baby with them that night. Little baby girl Toretto.

Nikki was unsure when she fell asleep but unsurprised to find her nephew Gio curled up next to her on the small bed. He was always most comfortable showing affection, something that clearly came from his mom Lena. Casche was missing but Nic and Junior were in his place, the latter holding his daughter with awe filled eyes while the former stood staring bored out of the window. Nic had confided in her that the new sibling wasn't something the ten-year old boy was looking forward to.

"When did you get here Junior?" Nikki said quietly so she wouldn't startle him.

"Just after you passed out, so around four."

"That long?" Nikki teased. The whole family was notorious for driving fast and the distance between Palmdale and Los Angeles was approximately eighty miles. They should have been there in about an hour and twenty minutes top if they adhered, sort of, to the posted speed limits.

"Hotel check out," he grinned. The baby squirmed in his arms at the rumbling his words made in his chest. He quieted immediately and looked down at his little girl the awe returning to his face. Grinning Nikki thought about getting some coffee and a toothbrush when wonderful smells of food preceded through the door followed by her Aunt Mia, Uncle Brian, Vince, Casche, Trix, and Cory.

"I didn't think they let this many people in a room at a time," Nikki said reaching for the cup of coffee Trix thrust out at her.

"It helps when the patients are attached to a well respected doctor," Brian grinned.

"Thanks for the calls Aunt Mia," Nikki said dryly in reply.

Her aunt rolled her eyes then went to scoop up her grand-niece from Junior, "Come up with any names?"

"Uh," Junior rubbed the back of his head, "I was thinking about something Italian like Nicia, Nicci, or Nicola."

"Great, another Nick," Cory teased.

"Dahnya is nice too," Trix said wistfully, thinking of the name that had stuck out for her on those rare occasions she thought she wanted kids.

"Xia or Xue," Gigi said tiredly.

"What language is that?" Nic spat testily at his step-mom. He was no great shakes at languages but he knew enough that her pronunciation wasn't Japanese or French.

"Chinese," she said on a sigh. Nikki wasn't the only one to notice that Gigi refused to look at the baby. Nic's eyes grew wide. Gigi didn't sound like she wanted the kid around any more than he did.

Junior moved to the bed, sitting on the side so he could brush his hands over his wife's hair. She looked sick, pained. Gio woke up, taking a minute to remember where he was then immediately eager to see his new little sister, "I wanna hold her."

"Here," Vince said coming to sit in the vacated chair. He pulled Gio onto his lap then motioned for Mia to gently place the girl in his arms. Gio, now bracketed in by his Uncle Vince's strong arms and the little bundle in his hands, gently reached down to touch his sister. She was really, really tiny.

"What about you Nikki? Got any names?"

"Iliana, Marisol, Leya."

"I have a headache. Can you all leave?" The comment and request were sharp and cold. Every face turned to Gigi's. She smacked Junior's hand away when no one made any additional moves. "Get out. Now!" Mia went over to take the baby out of Vince's hands, walking to place the child in the basinet which was close to the bed. Gigi shrank back, shaking her head vigorously and sounding disgusted, "Take her with you."

The room cleared quicker then, Mia rolling the baby to the nurses' station so she could go back to the safety of the nursery. The professional side of Mia came forward as she requesting information on the delivering physician and requesting the information for Gigi's obstetrician. Someone needed to check up on the woman lying in that bed unwilling to touch or interact with her newborn. The rest of the family walked towards the elevator but Mia reached for Nikki telling the young woman with her eyes that she should stay put. As soon as the doors closed she began asking questions about the previous night and Gigi's behavior. The signs pointed to severe post-partum depression but the severity of Gigi's clear disinterest was making Mia nervous. She didn't want to leave her niece in that room alone. Nikki saw the worry under her aunt's professional attitude.

They waited for the doctors to arrive, Mia immediately reviewing symptoms, requesting additional observation. They all agreed that it should be noted: Little girl Toretto should not be left alone with her mother. Nikki and Mia took the elevator downstairs then began crossing to the waiting room, both knowing no one had left without an update. Passing the main doors to the hospital Nikki heard her name being called.

"Hi Nikki," the EMT from the night before greeted her warmly. Nikki felt herself staring at him. He was well rested, his eyes smiling as wide as his mouth. His black hair was slightly wavier today and she noticed that his jeans and polo fit nicely over his muscles. He wasn't extremely taller than her, maybe five ten, short compared to her brother and male cousins.

"Walters," Nikki said, her heart starting to beat erratically when he chuckled in his smooth, baritone voice and stepped closer.

"I brought a gift for your new niece," he told her motioning to the teddy bear and card in his hand, "It's from the EMT squad," he clarified.

"Oh." Oh no. Not again Nikki. She felt panic welling in her. She hadn't been attracted to anyone since Jordan, the failed relationship making her step back from Walters.

"Do you mind if I visit your sister-in-law or is now not a good time," he hedged, his eyes trained on something behind Nikki.

"Actually my wife is sleeping and we were just leaving," Junior answered coolly. Walters didn't seem fazed by the unwelcome tone as he held out the bear for Nikki to take. He offered his hand for Junior to shake.

"Congratulations on your baby. She's a beauty," Walters told him. Junior's eyes narrowed and he squeezed the man's hand harder than necessary. This random man had seen his daughter before him?

"Thanks for all your help again Walters," Nikki said trying to cover her brother's territorial behavior.

"It's Liam. Liam Walters," he told her as she walked away, following her rapidly departing family.

"Bye Liam."

"Later Dominique," he said smiling. Junior practically ripped her arm off pulling her towards his car when they exited.

"You know I drove myself here," she told him testily. What was his deal? She handled Walters', erm, Liam well enough.

"Yeah, well…I…" Junior scrubbed his hand over his face.

Nikki hugged her brother giving him a small smile, "Yeah, I get it and I still love you."

"You talk to Noël, Gigi?" Nikki asked the following day. Gigi frowned and shook her head.

"Hi am I interrupting?" Liam's voice broke into the room. Nikki turned to look at him and felt her heart skip a beat. Shit. He was all decked out in his EMT uniform.

"Walter's right?" Gigi said slowly.

He approached and sat by the window, "Yes. You look great. How are you recovering?"

"Never been better, even with my scar," Gigi said dryly.

Nikki rolled her eyes, "That's the spirit."

Liam looked between the two women, searching for something to say, "So did you pick out a name?"

Gigi scowled but Nikki answered, "Not yet." Looking at Liam's questioning gaze she stood up, "Wanna see her?"

"Sure. It was nice seeing you again Georgeanne. Good luck," he responded, realizing that something strange was happening between the new mother and her offspring. Following the younger woman out of the room he took a deep breath.

Nikki stopped at the glass window and pointed at the basinet that held her niece, "Thanks for stopping by."

"No problem." Liam could tell even by looking at Nikki's profile that she was stressed. "Is everything cool?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well Georgeanne's husband seemed a little angry. He doesn't think I was trying to pick her up or anything?"

Nikki's face ghosted into a smile, "No. Junior doesn't think you're macking on Gigi."

"Oh," he responded lamely, putting his hands in his pockets and rocking back and forth. "Well what about you?"

"What? Do I think you're macking on Gigi?" she asked incredulously, turning her face to his. He gave her a smile, tilting his head and leaning forward.

"Does he think I'm macking on you." Nikki blinked, then smiled, then let the smile wipe off her face. He licked his lips, "Even if he knew, you didn't."

Nikki knew her eyes were getting wide. Where had this come from? She wasn't even looking for anyone, hadn't felt a desire to be around any guy for any length of time in almost four and a half years and yet in two days she was ready to give Liam the hot EMT the tonguing of his life. Nikki wet her lips then took a step back. "Don't you have work?"

"Yes," Liam said straightening up. "Nikki, I don't want the chance to pass me by. Will you go to dinner with me?"

Nikki's felt her head nod even though she was preparing to back away. Liam smiled again, pulling out his cell phone. She gave him her number, expecting that one of two things would happen. He'd either wouldn't call or she wouldn't pick up if he did.

"I like driving," Liam said smiling. She could hear it across the line. Nikki had surprised herself. It was two months later. Liam was still calling and she was still picking up.

"Yeah, me too," Nikki agreed, "it's like a family past time."

"So not only are you a mechanic but you enjoy speed too," he said amused.

She grinned then schooled her voice to sound nonchalant, "Yep."

Liam was quiet for a few moments then seemed to bolster his courage, "Wanna go for a ride?"

"What? Now?"

"Yes, I'll come pick you up." Nikki hesitated. She'd gone out for drinks with Liam and even a lunch that 'wasn't lunch' so therefore 'not a date'. But she always met him out, never let him pick her up. "What do you say?" _'What would she say?'_ She wanted to spend time with him. But did she want it enough to risk him learning where her safe haven was? Jordan had terrorized her at her front door, stolen her from around the corner of this house. Was it worth it to let Liam take her for a ride? _'I can't keep living scared can I?'_

"Guess this means you need my address," she told him in her most casual voice.

"Great. I'll be over in twenty," he said, sounding excited. She grinned to herself. Yep, she was just going to take this as it came. Feeling that she should at least be dressed for a drive she pulled on a pair of jeans and a form fitting t-shirt. For a moment she considered dressing it up then opted for sneakers, a ponytail, and her leather jacket. Because of course this was not a date. _'Right?'_ Nikki looked at herself in the mirror. Yeah, this wasn't a date. Except maybe the part where she was letting him come to her house. And take her on a drive when she preferred to drive herself. As an afterthought she grabbed her chandelier earrings. It couldn't hurt to look casually attractive right? The doorbell rang before she could decide to change.

"Hey," Nikki greeted him. She noticed his smile and she couldn't help but return it.

"You ready to go?" he asked holding out his hand. And that's when she noticed the helmet under his right arm.

"You're an asshole," Nikki told him dryly.

Liam looked shocked then he grinned, "So I have this bike."

"Thanks for stating the obvious," Nikki said rolling her eyes. His bike was sweet but she refused to tell him that. Yeah, he wanted to go for a ride, not a drive.

Liam stepped closer to her and whispered in her ear, "Are you afraid of my bike?" He sounded so sincere Nikki almost turned to look at him. She opted instead to look over his motorcycle instead. She shook her head. In for a dime, in for a dollar. Liam pulled back, "Good 'cause this is for you," he told her pushing the helmet into her hands.

She watched him get on the bike and slip his helmet on then approached his side frowning, "Ever wreck this thing?"

Liam took the helmet from her hands then started to gently place it on her head, "not in a very long time."

He offered his hand to help her sit behind him then started the engine. Nikki wondered if she should hold on to him and then she felt him shift to propel them forward. Feeling that she'd rather not meet the pavement she looped her arms around his waist lightly then clasped her hands tightly together. The bike roared shooting forward and Nikki, glad Liam couldn't see her face, closed her eyes and mouthed a prayer that he wouldn't ruin his safety streak tonight. _'Oh yeah, a ride. Jerk,'_ she thought to herself while imaging her hands looping around his neck and giving a light squeeze.

Nikki decided at the traffic light that she'd try to enjoy Liam's company then thanked whatever spark of inspiration that told her the leather jacket would be useful. Liam found the highway and his speed increased. Fearing they would tip over Nikki held herself as still as possible, still keeping away from pressing against his body. She didn't increase her grip, despite feeling she wanted to. The wind whipped past them, roaring around their bodies, displacing itself when they passed cars and longer sections which she assumed were eighteen wheelers. Nikki kept her eyes closed throughout it all.

After what felt like eternity the bike slowed and came to a complete stop. Rapidly she opened her eyes when she felt Liam gently rubbing her still clasped fingers. Forcing herself to relax Nikki started to get off and Liam automatically provided a helping hand. Once on firm ground he followed, pulling his helmet off smoothly then helping her to do the same.

"So you enjoy the ride?"

"Sure why not," Nikki tossed out. Liam gave her a confused look.

"It's that bad?"

"No," Liam's brows rose in question and Nikki scowled, "don't start."

"Come on," he said taking her hand in his so he could lead her towards the dock. It was early evening so there were plenty of people milling around. Nikki leaned against the railing watching the water, trying to pretend she didn't notice he was watching her profile.

"Nikki…" Liam whispered in her ear, his unexpected proximity making her jump.

Working to cover her action she blurted out, "There are easier ways to get women to feel you up."

Liam laughed, "But the bike is more fun. And actually not every woman feels me up when I drive." Nikki raised a brow but kept her eyes on the water. Liam laughed again, "You didn't."

"Disappointed?"

"Um…" Nikki finally looked over at his face and noticed he was working to contain a laugh.

"What?"

"Why can't you admit you're scared?" Liam asked her softly.

Nikki turned to face him, "Of your driving?"

"No of me."

"I'm not."

Liam raised his eyebrows, "Then who hurt you Nikki?"

The question threw her off and she worked to cover up her awkward pause, "Is this a trick to get me to press up against you on the way back?"

"No. However, if you relax and mold to me it's easier to keep us stable."

"Oh," Nikki said softly.

"Yeah. Simple aerodynamics." He didn't seem upset that she wasn't answering his question. Instead he wrapped his left hand in her hair, moved closer, licked his lips. Nikki felt herself drifting closer as well. They didn't kiss often but she registered that this was something she was looking forward to. Unconsciously she licked her lips, stepped into his space and tilted her face in anticipation. He didn't leave her waiting long. He leaned down, licking her lower lip then capturing it lightly between his teeth. Nikki eagerly parted her lips and he deepened the kiss. His hand slid through her hair then cupped her neck, the fingers playing over the skin. They stayed that way for a few moments before Liam pulled back. He let his hand trail down her arm, taking her hand in his then began leading her back to the bike.

"Taking me home now?" Nikki asked still a bit dazed.

"I want to take you to a few more of my favorite spots along the coast," he admitted. Nikki sighed. "But we can stop by my place to get my car instead," he told her.

"Don't bother, I'll deal," she told him before pulling on the helmet. He laughed then pulled his on, helping her mount the bike behind him. This time when the engine roared to life Nikki wrapped her arms around his waist, letting her upper half rest against his back. She still kept her eyes closed through the ride but she felt more secure this time. The second stretch of beach was more secluded.

"Where are we?" Nikki asked him as he helped her off the bike.

"Well lots of surfers like this area. The swells here are decent." Liam sat on his motorcycle watching Nikki take in the quiet beach, noticing that the small lot they were in was almost hidden from view of the road. He knew from experience that they were alone here, invisible to passersby. It was why he often came here to think.

Nikki placed a hand on his face, "This is your special place." Liam nodded before kissing her palm. Nikki felt tingles all the way up her arm. She stepped closer sliding her arms around his neck, leaning in to kiss him. Electric shock coursed through her body and she heard him groan into her mouth before he pulled back.

"Let's go for a walk," he suggested gently pushing her back in an attempt to get up. Nikki wasn't having it. She licked her lips then pecked his lips several times before he wound his fingers in her hair, pulling her in for a deep kiss. They stayed locked in their embrace for a few minutes before Nikki began to feel restless. She wanted to be closer to him but the bike he was still straddling was in the way. She assumed Liam felt the same way because he kept applying light pressure to her back to press them closer together.

"Liam," she moaned in desperation when he started kissing her neck. In an instant he'd moved back on the seat, then pulled her up to straddle the seat facing him. She hooked her legs over his thighs and he went back to claiming her mouth. She undid the zipper on his jacket, sliding her hands over his t-shirt clad chest, feeling his muscles bunch under her hands. She felt him start to lean her back and she stiffened afraid to fall off.

"Relax Nikki, I won't drop you," he whispered in her ear, the breath tickling her. To prove it he rubbed his hands over her back while gently lowering her till she was arched against the handle bars. He unzipped her jacket, sliding one hand down her neck and collar bone and into her shirt to cup her breast. Without thinking she wiggled her hips pushing herself closer to him. Liam stiffened against her, his sudden change making her tilt her head to look at him. His eyes were closed and he was breathing heavily.

She meant to sound sassy but her voice was low and silky instead, "I expect you to take me for a ride."

"Nikki…" it looked like it was costing him a lot to form words. He ran his hand down her stomach, let his fingers trail between her legs, then stop to curl around her upper thigh.

"Yeah?"

"Can we finish this at my house?" Nikki sat up, finding her face really close to his. His place. Liam watched her face and she knew it was showing everything she wanted to hide. Confusion, indecision, fear, lust.

"I…" she hesitated. He leaned in and kissed her, slipping his tongue between her lips, eliciting a frustrated moan from her. She wrapped her arms around his neck to kiss him back, feeling the groan rumble in his chest before he pressed his hand against her front, sliding up her body to cup her neck as he laid her down again. Pulling her shirt up, he started kissing her stomach, baring more skin as he moved up towards her breasts. She ran one hand through his hair letting the other skim across his chest. He stopped her.

"Nikki, don't," he whispered raggedly before pulling the cups of her bra aside to lick her breasts. The combination of the wetness left behind by his tongue and the breeze from the ocean made her yell out and he started undoing her pants with shaking hands. Before she could focus he'd pulled her pants and panties down enough so he could stick his hand between her now naked thighs. It was like setting a piece of paper on fire. Nikki had never felt so uninhibited and turned on. She forgot everything: where she was, how she got there, the fact that she was partially nude in public. She writhed against him her cries growing frantic. She felt Liam's continued kisses on her body and she wanted to touch but then she came apart in his hands.

As her breathing slowed Liam dressed her carefully. Nikki bit her lip when he helped her sit up. He rubbed her lips with his thumb then kissed her deep and slow. Placing her hands on his chest she felt his choppy breath and erratically beating heart. He was still turned on. Nikki started to slide her hands to his hips, searching for the bulge she knew would be there but he stopped her hands.

"It's time to go," Liam told her softly helping her off the motorcycle. He zipped up her jacket placing the helmet on her head then helped her get on behind him. Feeling relaxed Nikki molded her body to his, her thighs gripping his, her arms wrapped low around his waist, her head resting on his back. She felt him take two deep breaths before starting the engine and speeding them away from the secluded beach. This time Nikki closed her eyes, not because she was scared, but because she was sleepy. In what had felt like no time at all she woke to find she was at home.

"What about your place?" she asked sleepily. Liam walked her to the door and she leaned up to kiss him. He rubbed his hand over her waist then cupped her ass pulling her closer. He felt hot and ready pressed up against her even though his kiss was gentle.

"Thanks for coming with me tonight," Liam told her.

Nikki gave him a wicked grin, "But you haven't…"

He grinned back at her, "I meant the motorcycle ride Dominique."

Rather than answer she turned, and opened the door then shut it between them. She watched him shake his head as he returned to his bike and found herself grinning as she watched him speed away.

"Shh Iliana its ok," Nikki gently rocked the crying baby. Letty appeared with the bottle a minute later and Nikki gratefully placed her wailing niece in her mom's awaiting arms.

"See, I told you she was hungry," Letty said knowledgeably rubbing the little girl's leg absently as she held her in perfect position to begin draining the bottle.

"Aunt Nikki will you finish playing with me now?" Gio asked looking up at her from his position in front of the TV. She nodded then sat beside him resuming the racing game. Junior walked through the front door ten minutes later looking harassed.

"Nikki, you seen Gigi?" he asked her.

"Wow, not even a hello."

Junior crossed the room to kiss his daughter mumbling hello to his mom before he flopped on the couch, "And where's Nic?"

"He's grilling with Dom," Letty told him moving to burp the baby.

Not bothering to pause the game Nikki sighed, "She said she'd be back soon." Yeah, three hours ago.

They sat in comfortable silence until Dom called them to dinner. Before anyone had a chance to reach in for the food there was a knock on the front door. Junior popped up to answer it, Dom giving Gio a sharp look to keep him from reaching grabbing a piece of bread. They'd wait. The pair joined them at the table in minutes, Junior working to keep the scowl off his face. Gigi looked oddly relaxed.

Gio reached in for a piece of bread first, "God, thanks for the yummy food. Amen."

There was a flurry of activity as food was doled out onto plates then almost silence as they ate. Nikki held her tongue waiting for dinner to end. Thankfully it was surprisingly quick and Gigi obliged by staying behind to clear the table while the rest filed into the living room.

"Gigi," Nikki started.

The brunette's smile was large, "Not you too."

They met up at the sink, Gigi prepping to dry the dishes while Nikki washed methodically. "Three hours isn't quick."

"For what I did, it was."

Nikki paused to give her sister-in-law a hard look, "What was that exactly?"

"My business. How's Liam?" Gigi countered and Nikki scowled. "What? No answer?"

"Georgeanne, do you love my brother?"

"Your brother is my aijin," _lover _she said in a hard low voice. The two women stared at each other then Gigi lightened her tone and raised her voice slightly, "and my business."

"But you're all my family and _my _business."

Nikki was surprised at how fast Gigi had her bracketed between the sink and her body. She felt the taller woman bend slightly to whisper in her ear, "Did you ever wonder what happened to Jordan?" The question made Nikki go cold. She'd never looked, never thought to ask about him at all. She heard he'd moved away, gone to college, and she buried the past. "He was your first love Nikki. Surely you think of him?"

"No."

"He loved you didn't he," Gigi said carefully, "He loved you to the point of death, and you're ok with the idea that he just," Gigi blew softly in her ear, "poof…disappeared."

"Why are you bringing this up?"

"You're my family and _my _business. And I wanted to make sure that your love doesn't kill you in the future."

Heavy footsteps signaled they were no longer alone. Nikki expected Gigi to back away but she didn't. Instead Junior came to stand alongside them, brushing Gigi's hair from her face. "You ready to go?" Junior's rough voice startled Nikki. Gigi kissed Nikki's hair then stepped away.

"Next time I will not be so long," Gigi told them before walking out. But Nikki spent the rest of the night struggling to make sure that she knew exactly what needed to stay in the past and how she wanted to move into the future.


	21. The Glass Wall

**Disclaimer: **Don't own. Don't sue. Thanks!

**The Glass Wall**

"Oui?" _Yes?_

"Ms. Jiao?" the receptionist from the main desk replied with her quiet brisk tone, "Ms. Richards would like to see you in her office immediately."

"Thank you," Gigi replied taking a moment to inventory herself. What had she done lately that would have come up to the notice of one of the Senior Design Coordinators? Since the arrival of the baby…Iliana… Georgeanne sighed, not allowing herself to travel down that stressful road. Standing, she brushed off her knee length sweater dress, straightening the tiny belt around her waist, flipping her hair, and headed off to one of her major bosses office, Vince Camuto boots accentuating her confident pace.

"…And let me assure you Mrs. Ikeda that our firm will avail itself in every way possible," Ms. Richards voice rang out clear and strong as Gigi pushed open the door to the office. "Ah, Ms. Jiao," she said acknowledging the arrival and signaling to the chair occupied by a female client, "Let me introduce you to Mrs. Ikeda."

Automatically Gigi extended her hand then pulled it back as recognition crossed her face. She knew the woman in the chair facing her, not this new surname, but definitely the woman. Kei. Rapture. They meant the same thing. And Kei embodied her name. To cover her faux pas she placed her hands by her side and gave a bow. "Konnichiha," _Hello_.

"Amaku, utsukushi i Georgeanne." _Sweet, beautiful Georgeanne_. Gigi felt her body flush, the memories as close to her as they had been thirteen years before.

"Ikeda fujin ka?" _Mrs. Ikeda?_ Gigi asked raising an eyebrow. This was not a name she had expected the woman to have: the Mrs. part yes, the particular last name no.

Mrs. Ikeda smiled coyly, shrugging her shoulders, "Watashitachi ha sukoshi frenchie atodekono kaiwa wo tsuduke rubekidearu." _We should continue this conversation later little frenchie._ The nickname pleased Gigi as much as it had as a fifteen year old but instead of letting herself go back down that road, she sat in the vacant chair, turning to face the intrigued Ms. Richards.

"Well," Ms. Richards cleared her throat gently, not understanding the exchange that just took place, "I'm confident that Ms. Jiao will be able to produce quality work that will appeal to your tastes and make your new house feel like a home."

"Pardon?" Gigi asked confused. Mrs. Ikeda, Kei, lived in Tokyo. Or at least she had lived in Tokyo and this was not an international firm. Confusion turned to pleasure mixed with nettles of pain. She must live here now.

Ms. Richards hastily broke in to explain, "Mrs. Ikeda and her family have moved here from Tokyo to expand their business and would like to audition our decorating talent. You've been requested to complete the furnishing of their new home which will determine whether the Ikeda's will proceed with our services for their new offices." Oh so this job was just a prelude to a significant amount of money coming in to the design office. Wait, she'd been requested? Gigi gave Kei a swift glance. Oh, she was still as cunning as she'd been during their teens.

Gigi nodded, resisting the urge to flip her hair, lick her lips, or give any hint that she found Mrs. Kei Ikeda tempting at all. Instead she squared her shoulders and looked at the woman's earrings, "I'd be happy to assist you and your husband in making your new living quarters a home. I find it is best to set up a consultation appointment at your new address in order to utilize your time most efficiently. What is the best time for us to meet next week?" The words came out automatically, their easy repetitive nature making it simple to strip away emotion.

Ms. Richards spoke up quickly, "Actually the Ikeda's are going to be out of town for a month starting next week so they'd need their consultation completed immediately."

Kei smiled, "Yes, my husband and I would like to have this finished by the time we arrive back to the states."

"I understand completely," Gigi amended, "What would be a better time to meet this week?"

"Tomorrow, nine am for a breakfast meeting," Kei said checking her thin, expensive watch and frowning at the time. She stood, forcing Gigi and Ms. Richards to stand as well.

"That sounds wonderful," Ms. Richards gushed, "Well it was a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Ikeda. Ms. Jiao will show you out."

Gigi moved to the office door to hold it open for Kei, carefully holding herself out of the way so they wouldn't accidentally brush against one another. But she should have held her breath too. The light floral scent of Kei's perfume floated past Gigi, sending off memories of before, ones that often haunted her in Tokyo when their paths would cross at social events. They moved through the hallway, Kei's knee length purple pencil skirt, slate blouse, and slate heels turning heads. Or maybe it was the huge rocks that comprised her engagement and wedding rings. But mostly Gigi had a shrewd notion it had been the little gossip that sat at the receptionists desk. Regardless, the walk the front lobby and elevators felt long.

"Mrs. Ikeda, it was wonderful to see you," Gigi said automatically as they reached the lobby.

Kei Ikeda moved to the desk where the receptionist quickly scampered to provide the knee length jacket and matching handbag that belonged to her. Kei turned, leaving her back exposed to Gigi. Carefully, Gigi opened the jacket, and helped Kei slip into it, the necessity to move it forward onto the woman's shoulders requiring Gigi to get closer than she wanted. Kei quickly flipped her hair over the jacket's collar, some of the strands whipping past Gigi's nose forcing her to take a step back and clench her teeth.

"Watashi niarutameni ashita matsu kotogadekinai," _I cannot wait to have you tomorrow,_ Kei told her, the smile merely a hint on her lips. Gigi didn't respond. "Watashi haanatanotameno huruma wo okuru bekidearuka?" _Should I send a car for you?_

Gigi knew Kei was aware that she did not want to complete this assignment and was forcing her hand with the offer. "No. Arigatou. Sayounara Kei." _Thank you. Goodbye Kei_. Gigi bowed again so that her ground out reply wouldn't sound too disrespectful. Keep up the professional façade, even when she felt like falling apart.

"Oyasuminassi sukoshi frenchie." _Good night little frenchie._ Before the elevator doors fully closed on Kei, Gigi was already on her way back to her office. Fifteen minutes later she'd rescheduled all of her appointments for that afternoon and the following day, booked an afternoon at the spa for tomorrow, and was in her car, speeding out of the garage on her way home.

"_Kaihatsu shinasai," 'Open up', Kei teased her giggling at the end as Gigi looked up, eyes glassy, face flushed, hair fanning all over the bed. Gigi loved the pressure building inside of her and knew that it would be all over if she complied so she shook her head, unable to say no. Kei giggled again, running her hands over Gigi's thighs to settle on her hips, "Sukoshi frenchie," 'Little frenchie,' she cooed. Gigi squirmed and the pressure built. For a moment she forgot and tried to move her hands but they were tied together with a scarf and held to the headboard. She groaned. Kei giggled some more and she had to join in._

"_Seikou." 'Fuck.' Gigi moaned as Kei slid down her body, stopping when her mouth pushed teasing breaths over her hips._

"_Kaihatsu shinasai," 'Open up' Kei said whispering over Gigi's overheated skin. And this time, Gigi complied because she didn't know how to slow down. Kei's fingers had barely touched their mark before her mouth took over, and then Gigi started screaming her release. It took a minute for Gigi to come down from the clouds, to open her eyes to stare into the face that was now hovering over hers. Kei pressed their lips together and Gigi found herself giving over into a long, slow kiss. Kei undid the restraints and Gigi let her hands roam into the other girl's hair as a prelude to grabbing her arms, flipping her gently over. Kei giggled again. "Watashitachi haanatono jisei ni torikumu." 'We will work on your self control.'_

Gigi groaned into her pillow. She felt hot, her limbs felt heavy. She let her eyes slowly adjust to the darkness of the room. Eleven twenty-seven pm. She'd slept the afternoon away. She'd lain in bed with memories of those months at fifteen with Kei swirling in her head. That particular memory wasn't the first time they'd been together but it had been a prelude to four of the best orgasms of her life. Gigi carefully removed Junior's arm from around her waist before sitting up then launched herself into the bathroom. She took a quick cold shower then made her way downstairs for some yogurt to ease her hungry stomach.

"Gigi?" the rumbling voice was low in the darkness but approaching her in the kitchen. Rather than respond she waited until he'd entered the room and put his arms around her. "Feel like explaining what's up?" Gigi shrugged knowing that wasn't an answer and Junior stripped her spoon from her fingers. She just opened the drawer and pulled out another to continue eating. "Did you get fired?" Gigi raised an eyebrow, one of the Toretto's favorite moves. Junior brushed her hair over her shoulder then kissed her neck. "Is Han ok?"

"Hmm, Han's fine." At least he'd sounded fine the last time she spoke to him considering he was reading her the riot act on Junior's behalf. She could still hear his words ringing in her ears, though he didn't raise his voice once.

"_You married him so go play housewife Georgeanne." Gigi continued to lay listlessly on the oversized bed in her room at the penthouse, the darkness incomplete with the lights of the city and stars bright from below and above, shining into the glass wall. She hadn't come to the penthouse for Han's pity and wasn't surprised that he was frustrated with her. She'd just come to escape the little house where she, Junior, Nic, Gio, and the baby now lived; to escape the pretense that she was getting over her disgust at having a child, that she was still enjoying married life with Junior._

Gigi snapped back to the present as Junior ran his hands down her sides. It was the right move, but guiltily she thought, it was the wrong person. She finished her last scoop of yogurt, turning away to put the dishes in the sink. "Aijin," _Lover_, she whispered in his ear, grabbing his hand to lead him upstairs. There would be plenty of time to worry about her meeting with Kei.

Five weeks. Five weeks had gone by relatively tame. It helped that the temptation Kei offered that first day was not repeated in front of her husband the following morning. Gigi had spent that nerve racking hour with Kei and her husband Ryuu taking measurements, asking questions about their vision for their living space, colors they absolutely abhorred. In other words, she'd been professional. The rest of those weeks had been spent working on their house while they were out of town which suited Gigi just fine. There had been that day when they'd returned and she'd gone to greet them, complete a final walkthrough. But it had been easy to ignore Kei when Ryuu was so close, scrutinizing every detail, holding the big commercial job in his hands.

So the call from the receptionist's desk saying Mrs. Ikeda was waiting for her in the lobby caught Gigi off guard. They were still waiting for a decision regarding the office building so there was no reason for the visit unless… Gigi made it to the desk, noticing Kei hadn't bothered to remove her coat.

"Mrs. Ikeda," Gigi welcomed her, intending to offer her hand to shake but finding herself swept into a quick air kiss instead, cheeks meeting briefly before they walked down to Gigi's office, closing themselves in.

"What are you doing today little Frenchie?"

Gigi thought carefully about her answer, "Not what I originally planned."

Kei giggled, "Such a shame. I've been planning this for a while." She brushed her hand across Gigi's lips and involuntarily Gigi licked them, catching Kei's fingertips.

"Kei, I'm busy and you're married."

Kei smiled, "Interesting. You're worried about my marriage. What about yours?" Gigi thought about it. What about her marriage? She cared for Junior, she really did. Didn't she? Kei took advantage of the silence, "Besides, I'm not asking to sleep with you little Frenchie. But I could use help shopping."

"Shopping?"

"Yes. Ryuu's hosting a dinner for some business associates and I need a woman's opinion on my outfit," Kei giggled, "and you're the only friend I know here."

"My schedule's pretty full today," Gigi said brushing her hand over the computer mouse to click on her calendar.

Kei leaned over to peer at the full day, then pulled out two fancy envelopes. "Perhaps your boss would make an exception since we're announcing your firm will complete our office remodel."

Gigi's phone rang, forcing her eyes away from the little minx offering her an excuse to spend the day together. After a quick conversation with her boss, Gigi placed the phone on the hook and shook her head in defeat. "Don't you have an appointment today?"

"Yes, I came to deliver the good news first. Have your schedule clear by the time I get back. I'm starving."

And Gigi cleared her schedule. She even, in a moment of inspiration, called Junior to ask him to pick up the kids. When he asked why she was ready with, "I'm going to work late then visit Han." So what if deep down she felt that he knew she was lying.

* * *

Junior sat in the chair he's pulled from Han's room facing the door to Gigi's room. There were moments when he felt like he should just go home. He couldn't understand why he didn't. And yet, every time he was ready to get up he felt his rage kick up again. And so he sat. The moon marked the passage of time through the extremely large glass window that acted as the wall for the entire side of the penthouse but Junior quit marking time by it ages ago. Instead he slouched in the chair and listened to the sounds coming from the bedroom. Screaming, then silence. Moaning, then more silence. Panting then longer silence. Begging, then this current bout of eerie silence. One of the voices he didn't know but it was high, womanly, and it mingled with a voice he did know all too well. But he'd never heard it like this: crying out in abandon, completely open, not worried about being caught or caring if she was.

As the night turned into dawn he felt himself go through a multitude of emotions. The rage was easy to explain, the quickest emotion to come forward when he first arrived. As the hours passed the others came to the fore: confusion, bitterness, heartache, regret, and overwhelming sadness. As the sun rose he began to wonder if he had always known in the back of his mind that she would be capable of this type of betrayal. This, promiscuity, came easily to her. Motherhood and marriage were foreign. For the umpteenth time he asked himself why he'd chosen her, why he had to love women unable to stay with him. A twinge of sadness tingled in Junior's heart as his thoughts returned to Lena. If only she'd lived. He wouldn't be sitting here with the butt of a gun warming slowly in his palm, the barrel resting on his leg to point at the closed door. Junior knew most of all that he wouldn't be here getting ready to change lives forever. And as the sun began to rise to an overwhelming peak, streaming shafts of light pierced the glass wall to irritate his red rimmed eyes. It was only then after forcing his eyes closed that Junior saw the faces that broke through his brokenness in that sunlit hallway. His children: Nic, Gio, and Iliana.

He thought he heard a door close softly making his eyes open quickly to check if he'd been discovered, but the door where his vigil had played out was still firmly shut. Morning had come but the rage filled thoughts that had compelled him no longer held him captive. Instead he felt sick inside to think that he could have murdered his wife, his friend, his cousin. In less than two minutes he'd reengaged the safety, tucked the gun into the pocket of his jacket, and moved the chair back to its original position in Han's bedroom. In less than five minutes he was in heading out of the high rise building in search of coffee and an excuse to give Nikki for not coming home all night.

* * *

Ryuu Ikeda was looking for his wife. Her driver had returned yesterday afternoon spouting nonsense that Kei had insisted that she did not need his services for the rest of the day. Ryuu shook his head at the memory of the stupid man. He didn't pay the driver to think, just to do his job: drive Kei to all of her appointments and bring her home. She'd lost her driving privileges well before they'd left Tokyo, before his father had exiled them because Ryuu couldn't control his wife. And now she was missing. Although Ryuu had a shrewd idea where she was. He scrolled through the familiar names in his contact list, stopping at his accountant. Sometimes credit card statements told more about your movements than any private detective ever could.

* * *

Water sluiced over her body, washing away the scent of the last eight hours. Gigi ran her hand over her stomach feeling the slightly raised skin that marked where her stitches had been. She sighed heavily her skin prickling in guilt while flushing in remembered ecstasy. It had been too simple to say yes, not worth bothering to pretend resistance was an option. Last night hadn't felt like going back in time to those first few weeks when she'd been the prey at fifteen. It had been more hot and explosive than that, her skills as a lover honed over time. It was she who had tricks that excited Kei instead of the other way around. The night had been wonderful, more sensual than she would have expected. And if there was a moment to feel guilty wouldn't she have felt it now?

No the guilty feeling just prickled a little when she bent over the bed ten minutes later to kiss Kei's slight shoulder. It grew when she walked to glass wall in her room to pull back the curtains, revealing the sun moving higher in the sky to light the city laid out waiting for her rejoin reality. But it disappeared rapidly when Kei's hands wrapped around her body, pulling the towel covering Gigi down so they could make love once more in the sunshine in front of the whole world.

Ninety minutes later Gigi and Kei walked hand in hand up the spiral staircase, both impeccably dressed. Kei was already on her cell phone, her rapid conversation in Japanese a feeble attempt to placate her husband. Hmm. Gigi wondered why she wasn't feeling panicked about creating a story for Junior. Then again, there was no reason to lie, not completely anyway. She had come to see Han, but she'd also known that he wouldn't be home. She just wouldn't mention it again unless he asked.

Kei snapped her fingers in front of Gigi's face before grinning. "That's better," Kei whispered softly, "Aijin," _Lover,_ she pulled her face close for a kiss and for some reason word twisted Gigi's heart. Right name, wrong person. This kiss was tender but not the reasons tears threatened to spill from her eyes. The weight of the destruction Gigi had just set in motion was crashing into her. They pulled apart and guiltily Gigi pulled open the front door, eager to escape so she could get to work, find solace in the one thing she hadn't screwed up in the last few weeks. Before she could stride out of the door Kei gasped. A man was standing in the doorway blocking any attempt at exit.

"Kei," Ryuu said quietly, "and Mizz Jiao." Gigi took a step back. Not that the man towered over her, but because she could see the disappointment and rage within his eyes.

"Good morning Ryuu-san," Gigi said carefully. The slap he levied to her cheek knocked her to the floor. Before her head stopped spinning, he'd closed the door to keep Kei's screams from leaving the penthouse.

"What are you doing? Are you crazy?" Kei screamed at him while backing away. The distance between the two wasn't widening and within seconds she found herself turning to run for the stairs. Before she could take the first step, he'd grabbed her hair, pulling her forcefully back, swinging her around until she fell at his feet.

Gigi stood shakily, adrenaline telling her to flee but fear for Kei keeping her there. "Ryuu," she said calmly, "you have what you came for, and" she motioned to the woman now cowering in front of him, then wiped the trickle of blood from her lips, "you've punished me. It's time to leave."

"I've had enough Kei," Ryuu said angrily, tugging the woman's hair till she cried out again. Gigi started backing away feeling sick at what she was seeing and subconsciously knowing that she wasn't going to prevent him from beating them both to death.

"Ryuu I swear, it's not what you think," Kei cried, her hands trying to hold the strands of her hair to her scalp so the pressure would ease. Instead it got worse as he twisted her hair in his hands then roped it around her neck. Surprised it took her a few seconds before her hands began to claw at the vise around her windpipe.

"Shut up!" he screamed watching her face purple. Gigi felt herself stumble and she turned to run for the stairs, praying she could make it to the door of her room in time before the rage lifted enough for him to catch her next. She got the top of the stairs door intending to make her decent. _'Not far, not far!'_ she thought to herself. "STOP!" he screamed but she kept running.

The sound of the gun made Gigi's eyes go wide. Wait, was he still screaming? Why didn't she feel like she could hear it? Gigi looked in front of herself at the glass wall and the red material splattered on the surface. She looked down at herself, blinking in surprise at the hole in her side that was beginning a stinging burn.

"Merde!" _Shit!_ the exclamation the only one that would come to her. She let her body sink slowly to the ground. If she was dying, she wanted a refund. Memories didn't flood her mind and play fast forward. Instead she felt horrible pain and started to cry.

"_Are you going to hang by my ride all night?" Shawn drawled, curving his arm around her shoulders. Gigi worked to maintain the indifferent look her father often wore at races. She should be indifferent since races had been a large part of her entire life, and yet there was something about being close enough to drive that gave her a renewed vigor for coming._

"_Shawn, give her some space," Neela told him in a low voice. Neela understood that fifteen year old girls needed some space when they were trying to see and be seen._

_Shawn loped his arm around Neela instead, "Alright, well let's how Han's latest project's going." The reference to the latest racer to join their team did nothing to change Gigi's mood. That guy Hiroshi was a pain in the ass. He was seventeen and swore up and down that it would only take a matter of time before Gigi wised up became his. Neela seemed to agree that it would be only a matter of time…before Han drop kicked the guy into next week for putting the moves on Gigi. But deep down, Gigi wondered if her Dad…If Han she corrected herself, wasn't saying anything because he wanted to know if she even liked guys. Sometimes Gigi wondered herself. It's not that she didn't like guys, she just didn't think about dating period._

"_I'll meet you upstairs," Gigi told them before weaving into the crowd looking for some music to fill her mind instead of her thoughts. She nodded to several kids she knew from school and most of the kids who knew her by her family's reputation in the racing world. They respected Han and his team, and her by association, but someday… Before she found her groove anywhere the shouting and running started. Guess there was about to be another race. Her cell buzzed and the message confirmed what behavior had hinted at. Racing was about to start and Hiroshi was being challenged. She sighed inside. That meant she would be expected at the finish line upstairs. Rather than waiting for the rush of people to get to the elevators, Gigi stalked against the crowd to the currently empty doors. She reached for the button that would take her to the top floor but a girl rushed in._

"_Arigatou." 'Thank you,' she said giggling. She pushed the button instead then turned to stare at Gigi's face._

"_Unzaeiaueumoka?" 'Are you bored too?'_ _The girl asked looking Gigi up and down. The gaze was almost rude. Rather than speak Gigi shook her head in disagreement. The girl giggled again, closing in on Gigi's space. Rather than backing down, Gigi stood her ground which wasn't hard when she was taller than the other girl before they added heels. The smaller girl giggled again, "Chousen noyouni mie ru. Watashi ha chousen wo konomu." 'You look like a challenge. I like a challenge.'_

Glass shattered and a cold gust of air spilled into the penthouse. Gigi continued to feel the fire on her side but she also felt herself getting dizzy and getting ready to pass out again.

_The elevator pinged open and the girl stepped away, melting into the crowd already in position at the finish line. Gigi couldn't tell why her heart had started to pound, why the anticipation she felt wasn't for the end of the race and was completely on the girl who'd hit on her in the elevator. Fighting the urge to look for the girl, she forced herself to prop herself on Shawn's car which had already completed its race for the night, the hood now cool enough to lean against again. She flipped her phone open to pretend to keep up on the progress of the racers and soon enough the elevators had spit out a much larger crowd to usher in the final leg of the race. She finally heard the squeal of precision tires taking the last curving turn on a drift. There was a small metal scrape against the cement but it didn't stop Hiroshi from coming in first or getting cheered by the crowd. Gigi could see in his face that he was upset that he'd scraped up his paint job even though he smiled heartily, smacking hands with Twinkie and Earl then giving her a wink._

"_Soshite ima watashitachi ha p__â__tei wo tanoshi mu!" 'And now we party!' he said happily making a move to put his arm around her shoulders which she quickly turned away from to so she could enter Shawn's car before she got roped into riding with Hiroshi._

_Five weeks later and the same scene played out. The party was of course in full swing when they arrived, the crowd parting for Han and his team to come in, be congratulated, and grab drinks. Gigi moved to the DJ, eager to get some music playing that she could shimmy to before she went to hide in Han's office while he found who he wanted to take home. Tonight Gigi was feeling on par with the models that filled the place. She was wearing a little shirt and skirt ensemble straight off the runway to include the heels. No__ë__l had picked her bribery well. The DJ started spinning one of her current favorites and she gave him a nuzzle with her nose against his cheek before walking to the floor, executing a turn then swaying to the beat. After two minutes the song started to fade into another one of her favorites. Closing her eyes the music started to take over. One second she was dancing alone, the next she was enveloped closely from behind._

"_Konnichiha sukoshi chousen," 'Hello little challenge,' the girl's voice flowed into her ears. Gigi felt her heart start to pound._

"_Vous êtes très grossier," 'You are very rude,'_ _Gigi scolded._

"_I don't understand little frenchie," she giggled. Gigi turned to look into the girl's eyes. "You understand English little frenchie?"_

"_Don't call me that," Gigi said hotly opting to play the bad ass instead of dealing with the unfamiliar feelings coursing over her._

"_Then what do I call you huh?"_

"_What do I call you?" Gigi's voice not betraying that she was nervous._

"_Kei."_

_Gigi walked away smiling to herself but Kei followed. Soon Gigi was down the stairs in Han's garage sitting on the hood of his Mona Lisa. Fewer people were milling around in here but she felt almost alone with this girl down on the shop floor. Kei stood in front of Gigi, not giving her a way to move._

"_Frenchie," she started._

"_Gigi."_

"_Ah," she smiled pushing strands of Gigi's hair from her face, rubbing her neck gently, "a French name for frenchie."_

"_Stop that," Gigi whispered out, the touch catching her off guard. Kei licked her lips and Gigi found herself mirroring the action._

"_Is everything you do French Gigi?" Kei asked, her voice husky, her face close to Gigi's now. Before there was time for more than a short gasp, Kei's lips found Gigi's in a sweet first kiss that segued into a longer more visceral second kiss._

Was someone grabbing at her?

_Kei's hand moved in Gigi's hair, grabbing it to pull her face closer as they melded into a long third kiss, her other hand sliding up her leg and skirt. Gigi felt herself shudder at the feelings racing over her skin which was warming, tightening, and melting all at the same time. Gigi felt her legs slowly close around Kei's body, pulling their bodies closer together and Kei's body shook with a giggle that was swallowed by their melded mouths._

_Kei finally pulled back from the kiss, placing her lips against Gigi's ear and breathing warmly into it, "Watashi hahoshiito omou," 'I want you,'_ _she whispered huskily._

"Gigi!" Kei's voice echoed loudly from the vicinity of the front door. The door shut out the noise and Gigi let herself slip back into peace.

"_Gigi!" her name felt loud over after hearing the proposition whispered in her ear. She groaned deep in her throat as she looked up to see Shawn and Hiroshi staring down at her. Several revelers stopped milling around to stare at a possible drama situation. Kei didn't move away, preferring to push Gigi's long brown hair over her shoulder and begin trailing small kisses down her neck. Gigi's eyes fluttered shut for a brief moment, the attempt to gain control over herself lost as the top lashes met the bottom ones. When she opened her eyes, her father was standing there and the Kei was giggling again._

_Han's mouth twitched involuntarily into a small smile even though his comment was delivered in a bored voice, "careful not to get anything on the paint." Feeling her embarrassment rising Gigi pushed Kei back, sliding carefully off the hood. Once standing she wasted no time grabbing Kei's hand. They traveled up the stairs, past her father and a very stunned Hiroshi, through the club, past the games in the attached arcade, and onto the streets of Tokyo to hail a cab so they could continue this first exploration in private._

The pain in her side stung, breaking into Gigi's thoughts. Dimly she knew that Ryuu was dragging her to the window, no longer a smooth wall protecting them from outside forces. She felt the air rushing hurting her eyes as she looked across the expanse of buildings and streets that made up Los Angeles. She felt a jolt as Ryuu grunted lifting her body, a short suspenseful moment where she wasn't attached to his body anymore, and then closed her eyes looking for peace as the scene before her was replaced with a quickly moving view of the street growing larger as she zoomed towards it.

_The crying hadn't stopped, even when she told herself it would. Three days later the pain of Kei's goodbye still felt as raw as that moment in the morning light. The moment where Kei had woken her with a kiss on the shoulder and a fast coupling interrupted by Kei's intended. Mr. Chen at twenty-two was a great looking guy, someone she and Kei often joked that they should marry. Except the joke would turn into reality for Kei in a few months when she turned eighteen. But that day Mr. Chen was Kei's angry betrothed, lashing out at both girls before Kei stepped in to take his fists on herself alone. When he was done, he'd grabbed Gigi's arm to drag her forcibly from the house teeming with servants who stood by silently._

"_Let her go!" Kei screamed, tears streaking down her face._

"_You want me to let her go? After she disgraces me! After you disgrace me!" Tiny flecks of spit hit her face._

Or were those tears?

_Kei gazed into Gigi's face, "Yes. She was just a toy. I won't play with her again."_

_The sharp pain in her heart was so awful that she didn't even notice when he let her go and she fell…_

* * *

Junior spent the last two hours walking aimlessly around the city, the cup of coffee stone cold and untouched. Unable to find his equilibrium Junior suddenly longed to bury himself in axel grease and the clink of familiar tools. Work was simple enough, even when your family was as nosy as his was. He'd be able to get under the hood and work out all of his frustration on engines and breaks, tire rotations and spark plug replacements. He turned the corner with the intent of getting in his car and going straight to the garage but was brought up short by the flashing lights rotating red, blue, and white light across everything in their eerie way. A small crowd was gathered around the scene being roped off by police.

Junior's scalp began to crawl and he ran a hand cautiously over his head to ease it. For a moment he looked at his car, easily accessible and unblocked by the commotion. He could leave. But would that look suspicious? Conscious of the gun still lying against the small of his back he moved to blend into the crowd. He could see why some people were holding their hands to their mouths. The pavement and the walls close by were spattered with blood and other biological material. But what made him reel back in horror was the familiar color of the hair sprawled on the pavement and the familiar pattern of the small piece of skirt not marred by the gruesome aftermath of hitting the pavement from what he instinctively knew was the penthouse which she'd spent the last twelve years of her life.

Feeling numb, Junior backed up to remove himself from the crowd remembering to move slow, not arouse suspicion. The last thing he needed was to get stopped by the cops with a concealed weapon on him. He got in his car careful to start up slow, ease away from the pavement, and started breathing once he turned the corner. The gun on his back felt like a target but he refused to remove it until he saw his Uncle. Brian would know what the best course of action would be to get rid of the firearm. Just in case. Just in case someone thought that he killed his adulterous wife. Fleetingly he recalled that he had been set to do the same just two short hours ago. And in that time, someone else had done the job.

Junior's cell began to sing, startling him so badly that he had to correct sharply or risk slamming into a parked car. Trembling, he pulled over letting his head fall over his steering wheel before flipping the phone open, pressing the receiver to his ear. The baby in the background crying could only be his daughter. And then the cry in Nikki's voice overwhelmed him, "Oh God Junior! I was worried you were.."

"What's wrong Nikki?" he asked in a shaky voice.

She sniffed and he heard the wailing baby fading into the background, "Gigi's dead Junior. I…I…Liam told me. He was part of the team that responded to the nine…"

"Nikki, have the cops…" he cut her off quickly, trying to marshal his thoughts into something that resembled rational thought. He had to protect himself and family. He needed to act quickly.

"What about them?" she sobbed.

He felt himself tearing up but sucked in a deep breath, "Have they come to the house yet?"

"Uh…no. Why?" she seemed confused. "Oh no, no, no, no!"

Junior's mind made the leap the same time she did, "No Nikki! I didn't I swear! She was already like that when I got there."

"What do you mean 'when you got there'?" she said her voice starting to rise.

"Shut up Nikki, or the boys will hear."

He heard her sucking in breaths to calm herself, "Where are you?"

Junior laughed hard, "I don't know." He looked up to see if he could recognize his surroundings. "On my way to the O'Connor house but I know already that Uncle Brian's probably not there."

"Jun…"

"Nikki, I don't know what to do. I…I don't want to come home and have the police take me away…not in front of Nic and Gio."

Nikki pondered what he was saying and trying to decipher what he was keeping hidden. The doorbell rang and he heard the brush of the curtains being swept aside quickly then returned. "Shit. There's an unmarked in front of the house. Go to the parts store Junior. I'll call you there." The phone line went dead. Junior considered throwing the phone out, crushing his link to traceability but he didn't. That would make him look very guilty. Instead he followed his younger sister's advice, executing a sharp u-turn to head in the direction of his uncle's auto parts store. He'd parked in the back, right next to his uncle's car. It would keep it from being viewed directly from the street and yet he could explain that it was normal for him to park next to his uncle the owner if anyone questioned him. And he knew the cops would when the caught up to him.

The store had a modest crowd milling around when Junior arrived. He walked purposefully to the back, passing his uncle on the way to the office. Brian followed without comment until the door closed. "Has Nikki called for me?"

Brian studied his nephew's face. This was the face of a troubled man and it threw his investigative instincts into alert. "Why would your sister call you here?"

"Probably cause she thinks I will have dumped my phone by now," Junior explained pacing the floor speaking in a quiet agitated voice, "the police are at my house to tell me Gigi's dead and I need to stash my gun."

Brian's heart stopped beating for a few seconds then sped into gear, "Did you…"

Junior whipped his head from side to side so violently that his neck hurt, "She fell…but I was at the penthouse, and my car was there. And the doorman knows me."

"So he must have seen you leave," Brian said reasonably. But even that wouldn't stop the police from suspecting Junior first. Junior nodded then hid his face with his trembling hands. "Where's the gun?"

Junior whipped it out from behind his back and Brian motioned to a file cabinet where he kept Dom's smaller specialty parts that were too expensive to keep in the warehouse. He emptied a box and stuck the gun in it. He would have to dump it later.

"Now what?" Junior asked reflexively.

"Go to work. And when the cops get there, tell the truth," Brian told him then gave him a hard glare, "well most of the truth." Brian handed Junior a few boxes of parts.

"What are these for?"

"Well if they're there before you, just say you came here to pick up some parts for the garage. I'll call ahead so the team knows to keep the story up."

The phone rang and Brian immediately answered it, "Uh huh, hold on."

Junior took the receiver from his uncle, pressing it to his ear, "Nikki?"

"Yeah. Well bro the cops are on their way to the garage to tell you the news personally." Junior looked over his shoulder, his uncle was already on his cell conveying the cover story.

Junior sighed heavily, "Ok. I'm on my way there. Did you tell them the truth? That neither of us were home?"

Nikki's voice shook, "Yes. I didn't have a choice. The boys asked if you were ok and I…"

He understood, "Good. You did the right thing. I'll see you later," he told her as Brian started waving his hand for Junior to get going. He hung up, handed the phone back then exited the store with his packages in tow. The entire ride to the garage was torture, sickness and fear intermingling with his grief. But now was not the time to break down. He needed to save it for when he was given the bad news in a few minutes.

"Papi you want me to install…" he called out as if he didn't know they had special company. He stopped when he saw the two plainclothes standing with their notebooks out talking to his parents, Leon, Vince, Casche, and Ryan.

"Are you Mr. Dominic Toretto Jr.?" the first cop asked.

Junior nodded, "Yeah."

"Sir when was the last time you saw your wife Mrs.," the cop began checking his notebook as if he needed to confirm the name, "Georgeanne Toretto?"

"Yesterday morning before she left for work."

"Uh huh," he said absently scribbling in his notebook, "and did you have any contact with her since?"

"She called to say she was working late," Junior told them truthfully, "Why? Is she alright?" He forced himself to say the words even though he knew what was coming.

The cops stared at his face for a long moment, then the second one delivered the message, "We regret to inform you that Mrs. Toretto was found dead this morning."

Junior let the words sink into him, let his legs finally give out and his hands drop the boxes of spark plugs he was carrying. The trembling he'd been holding in overcame him. The cops looked sincerely upset at his display. Letty looked at him sadly before closing her eyes and asking, "What happened?"

"She was found in front of the building where her father lived," the first cop began.

"What happened?" Dom repeated, his voice deep and gruff.

"That's what we're trying to find out Mr. Toretto," the second cop replied.

"How?" Leon asked stunned.

For a moment neither cop looked like they wanted to divulge the details then the first sighed, "She fell from her father's penthouse window."

Junior finally started crying, his nerves completely frayed. Whatever happened, it was finally out in the open. The second cop looked really concerned, "Mr. Toretto, um, Jr., we will need you to come down to the morgue to identify the body…and we'd like to interview you.

"I…need…my children…they'll need to know…" Junior sputtered. Casche placed a hand on Ryan's shoulder, the older man springing into action.

"Er," Ryan said capturing the cops attention again, "maybe another family member can do it?"

"We haven't been able to contact the deceased father Mr. Han Jiao," the first cop admitted the inflection in his tone an invitation to provide information on Han's whereabouts. No one volunteered.

"Let me close the garage," Dom began, "and you can do your interview here."

Before the cops could object, Dom and Vince went to the big bay doors and began lowering them. Ryan excused himself for some fresh air and Junior somehow knew that Ryan would be contacting his twin Tony the lawyer and spreading the word to the rest of the family. Casche went to Junior's side, helping him stand and propping him against the trunk of the nearest car. Letty and Leon mimicked the action against the cars closest to them, and when Vince and Dom returned, they did the same. The first cop cleared his throat.

"Can you tell us your whereabouts from the time you left your house yesterday evening?"

Junior rolled his shoulders once, "First I went to Gigi's office," he said wearily as the detectives scribbled, "I noticed her car was still in the garage. I tried calling her desk but hung up when she didn't answer." The second one nodded and he continued, "so I went to see her father."

Both cops looked up at him but Junior continued in his defeated voice, "I knocked and when no one answered I went inside to wait."

"Was the door unlocked?" the first cop asked.

"I had a key," before the cops could comment he continued on, "and I left at six am."

"Did you see your wife there?"

"No. I sat in the house waiting for her to wake up but it was getting late and I wanted to get to work so I left."

"Where was she when you left?"

"In her bedroom."

"And you didn't just walk in and wake her?"

"Door was locked," Junior supplied. He didn't know if it was the truth or not because he'd never tried to open the door. The second cop nodded and Junior finished his story, "I went for some coffee a few blocks away."

"And when he got here, I sent him to pick up those parts," Dom supplied as if he was finishing the conversation they'd began before Junior had arrived.

"Ah yes, I have your statements Mr. Toretto," the second cop notated. The first cop looked at his partner, then the folded their notebooks up, and nodded to the group.

The first cop led the way out, "We'll be in touch."

As soon as they left Ryan spoke up, "Junior, everyone I called is going to meet at your place."

Leon sighed heavily, "Yeah, you better get over there."

Junior shook his head numbly as Casche began to steer him out of the garage. Ryan piped up, "Oh and Junior? Don't say a word till Tony gets there. Not to anyone ok?"

Junior nodded but he didn't register the mandate. Instead he let himself shut down on the ride home, Casche driving extremely careful. For a moment Junior wondered if it was to give him time to gather his emotional strength to face the boys, but Junior noticed the unmarked car that drove past them as Casche pulled to the curb.

Once inside, Junior felt himself become entangled in three sets of arms. Lowering his head he saw his sister's trembling curls, Nic's bowed head resting against him, and Gio's upturned tear streaked face. He heard Nikki mumbling into his chest, and when the word "Dios" _God_ hit him he realized she was praying. Casche gently pulled Nikki away shuffling her to the couch and forcing her to sit. Slowly his house began to fill, until the small living room was crammed with bodies. Nic, Gio, Sadie. Vince, Dom, Leon, Letty. Ryan, Casche, Tony, Nikki. Summer, Jenna, Trix, Cory. Brian was the last to show up.

"Hopsital's short staffed so Mia will stop by later," Brian told the waiting group, "Has anybody heard from Han?"

Dom sighed, "He's on the first international flight home." The news stung in Junior's wounds. The deliberate lie was salt in the open flesh of his mind.

Vince looked at the young boys. Nic and Gio were old enough to understand the loss of their stepmom but the discussion that was about to take place was not meant for their ears. "Nic, Gio. Take Sadie and wait for us in your room." For a moment Nic looked ready to protest.

Casche added looking Nic in the eyes, "Keep my girl safe while we talk." Nic rolled his eyes but he led his brother and three year old Sadie to Gio's room, slamming the door in defiance. The bang woke Iliana and Nikki instinctively moved to the baby's basinet to comfort her. Once the baby had quieted down snuggled safely in her aunt's arms, Tony finally spoke.

"Junior, I…we all need to know what happened last night but first," Tony took in a deep breath, "You know everyone in this room will use discretion but I…I need to know…"

Junior knew what his cousin was asking, "Yeah. Tony, will you represent me? Be my legal counsel or whatever?"

Tony nodded, "Yes. And as you know, this conversation will be covered by attorney-client confidentiality."

"Sure," Junior replied weakly. Without prompting Junior began to recall his steps in the last twenty-four hours. He did his best to remove his emotions from his story but the venom that had built in him as he sat in that hallway the previous night came flooding over him.

Dom cleared his throat, "So you just left? You never saw her or who she was with?"

"No. I figured she'd get tired, or realize that she needed to come home," Junior spat, "but she just stayed, fucking all night."

An uncomfortable silence fell then Jenna spoke, "Then what evidence do you have that it was her? Or that she wasn't alone?"

"Well there were two voices, one I didn't recognize, and one I clearly did," Junior said pointing to his daughter and rolling his eyes. Jenna blushed.

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh," Junior gave a mirthless laugh, "and to think I left her alive for someone else to come along and do the job anyway."

Summer looked at Junior's raw and emotional face, "You didn't kill her though. I don't think you would have done it either." Jenna nudged the young woman in the ribs. "Well, you wouldn't have. It's out of character for you to harm your family intentionally."

"So you left?" Leon said rubbing his chin in his hands. Junior continued the story, telling them how he roamed the streets aimlessly for hours with that stupid cup of coffee. How he'd seen something wrong when he arrived to get his car. Several people sucked in their breath as he described the scene: recognizing her hair, her skirt, but unable to do anything but back away, to save himself for his children.

Tony commented, "Well it will be easy to prove that Junior wasn't there at the time of the murder."

"Huh? How so?" Ryan asked.

"Security cameras. Even if there are none in the building, the ones on the street will be able to show him walking for the coffee, possibly where he went for hours."

Junior breathed a sigh of relief, "That sounds simple."

"But it doesn't tell us who killed her," Letty said quietly.

"Or if it's an isolated incident," Brian added.

"Who have we pissed off lately?" Leon asked flippantly.

"Can we start on a smaller scale?" Letty asked in a tired tone. Leon put his arm around his best friend and she leaned into him.

"Maybe you're not the only jealous husband Junior," Summer added.

"Look let's not speculate," Tony advised.

"Yeah, we have bigger problems," Cory noted.

Trix wiped her eyes, "Yes, there is a funeral to plan."

Junior stood suddenly his face livid. His mouth open and closed as if he wanted to rage, yell and scream. No sound came out except, "NO!"

"Junior, Gi…" Nikki began but he turned on her, pointing his finger at Iliana.

"I'm not doing shit for her. So take her kid and get out."

Dom stood too intending to grab his son, shake some sense into him but the younger man stepped out of reach. "Take it easy."

"We'll take the kids with us tonight…"Letty started but Junior shook his head violently.

"Take her, I don't care. I don't want to look at her. But leave the boys here."

"You can't mean that Junior. Iliana is your daughter," Nikki told him. He turned around swiftly, walking to the little girl's room. They heard him slamming around in there, the crash of roughly handled drawers and the slam of her closet doors. He returned with a bag filled with baby items, letting it drop roughly at Nikki's feet.

"And now she's yours," he told his sister before walking out of his house.


	22. Fringe pt 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Please don't sue.**

Fringe pt 2

Jessie was having a great time sandwiched between two girls with rocking bodies as he swayed to the beat of the ridiculously loud music. He loved college. He loved rocking out with a beer in one hand and a sexy girl against his front. He loved being far enough away he could live his own life without interference from his parents, or his uncles, or his aunts, or his older cousins. He took another pull from his beer, found it empty, and grinned. After this song he would leave, preferably with one of the girls plastered to his body. He was bending over to whisper in the ear of one of his dancing partners when he felt someone fall into him. Before he could get angry though he noticed it was another girl with a sheepish grin on her face.

"What up shorty?" he said recognizing the line was really corny but he was unable to come up with anything better in his inebriated state.

She laughed pulling her arms around his neck to brace her. The girls he was sandwiched between didn't stop dancing and Jesse found himself now holding an empty beer bottle in one hand but his other arm was wrapped around the laughing girl who started rubbing herself against him as she danced. He watched her face, her eyes closed, mouth slightly open, and tongue darting out to wet her lips, cheeks flushed in the dim intermittent party lights. Yeah, he was asking her to come back to his place tonight. By the end of the song he felt the other two girls moving away, obviously sensing he was distracted by the girl in his arm. Slowly he turned his body so they were chest to chest.

He leaned down to whisper in her ear, "You coming to my place tonight shorty?"

Instead of answering right away she cracked her eyes open wide enough to rise up on her toes and kiss him. She slipped her tongue in his mouth and Jessie's brain shut down. They made out until his friends showed up, tapping him on the shoulder to get his attention.

"Dude, we're leaving," Kyle told him with a knowing grin.

Jessie looked at his kissing companion and she slipped her hand into his. They walked a few blocks while Jessie's companion stumbled along behind him, her arms wrapped around his waist so her hands could rub up and down his stomach and chest. Occasionally she'd let her hands rub lower on his stomach and he'd feel the muscles there bunch up, making him want the walk to his bed to be faster. He was happy to see the door to his apartment building. Kyle and his roommate lived a few floors up from Jessie so they shared the elevator with him and girl now making little excited noises behind him, making him tense. As soon as the door opened on his floor he was speeding down the hall.

"Later dude," Kyle called out laughing.

Jessie waved in the general direction of the elevator but kept moving quickly to his door. They'd barely crossed the threshold before his hand was in her hair, his mouth fastened to hers. Drunkenly they fumbled at the other's clothes, eventually getting completely naked and into his bed. It took a few seconds of impatient scrambling in his nightstand for a condom but once it was on he was hovering over her preparing to relieve the sexual tension they'd built up since they'd starting dancing together but she surprised him by applying slight pressure to his body with her legs, the intention clear as they rolled so she was on top.

He was glad his blinds were open so the light filtering in helped him see her unbidden rapture. She slid onto him then ran her hands ceaselessly over his chest at first then as she moved he fought to keep his eyes open. It felt fantastic and the pleasure made his eye lids start to close but she moved her hands to her chest, and she let her head fall back, her mouth fall open. He gripped her hips, unwilling to lose hand-to-body contact with her. She started moaning, the sound not loud but making his skin crawl with desire. He hoped she was close because he was already there. Involuntarily he closed his eyes and gave in to release, unable to wait for her but she followed him in less than a minute.

* * *

Two months later Jessie watched as they prepared to inter a casket filled with Gigi's ashes. Noël, Gigi's mother, was sobbing inconsolably in the front row with her head bowed underneath a ridiculously extravagant large black hat. The preacher told them to go in peace and everyone stood. Han helped Noël stand then they walked to the opening of the grave, Noël placing an orchid on the casket while Han took a package of snack crackers out of his pocket to place next to the flower. As the pair walked toward their cars the others started to follow suit, placing a flower or laying a hand on the casket. Casche stood next to Junior as they watched family and friends file past. Finally the only ones left graveside were Casche, Junior, Tony, Ryan, Bria, Nikki, Trix, and Jessie. He knew why: they were the original members of this Junior Varsity team and Gigi had been one of them. They watched the casket as it was lowered six feet below then the grave diggers moved away to give them a private moment.

Bria cleared her throat, tears falling from her eyes, "Oh Gigi." She dropped a skimpy white bathing suit onto the casket. Bria remembered the day Gigi had given each of the women present a one-piece bathing suit to wear to Bria's pool party the summer Gigi and Junior had started dating. It was fitting that it would rest with her eternally.

Trix dropped a shirt on top of the bathing suit. "You're the only woman that's hit on me Gigi," Trix mused, recalling the first time she walked into Toretto's Café and met Tony, Ryan, Junior, Jessie and Gigi. Trix had worn that shirt at that meeting which would change her life forever.

Tony rolled a mini-golf ball over the edge. "I'm glad you came to play mini golf with us that night," Tony said wistfully, giving his brother Ryan, Casche, and Junior a conspiratorial half-smile. That silly code they'd used so long ago to hide their intent to go to races would always bind those five.

Ryan let a photo of him and Gigi float down into the grave. "You were always the hottest girl in any room," he told her thinking of all the times they'd sized up the hot girls at a party.

Jessie unfolded a piece of paper from his pocket and let it drift down to rest with the other mementos. He'd written the words to a question she'd asked him at the anniversary party they'd thrown for the elders at a mansion a few years back. It was the first time he'd been hammered. He stepped in to dance with her and she'd leaned into him to whisper, _"If I had dark hair and tattoos would you want to fuck me too?"_ The question had made him blush even though he'd known she was wasted. Before he could formulate a comeback he found himself dancing with the woman in question. He'd looked at Trix's face that night and found that he wasn't able to answer that question. Even now, five years later, he still didn't have an answer. "I'm glad you had brown hair and grey eyes," he said aloud before stepping back, his turn complete.

Casche dropped a piece of grey fabric from his curtains onto her casket. It was one of the few remnants from his first apartment which she'd decorated for him. Their relationship was one in which a lot had gone unsaid. Confessing any feelings at this point felt useless and cruel. Instead he folded his arms, sniffed once then stepped back to let Junior say goodbye.

Junior felt his insides roll. His anger had not dissipated in the last week. He didn't know whether she ever loved him and that provided a throbbing ache in his heart. He let his fingers idly turn the wedding band he still wore, contemplating throwing it in the grave to be buried with her but felt the gesture would be too bitter. Finally he reached back to the chair he'd occupied during the service to grab his offering. He'd taken one of the bracelets in her set of twenty she'd sometimes wear together to jingle as she moved her arms and cut it open so he could slip the other nineteen and her wedding rings around it. He remembered the night he'd made those bracelets jingle at his parent's house and suddenly he felt sad. Before they were lovers they'd been close friends. They'd always been family. He walked over to the grave, staring down at the pile of items covering the casket and the way the light hit the pearly top made him flash back to that night in Han's penthouse. He threw the bracelets as hard as he could, the satisfying smack and crack of the bracelets pulling the angry words out of him. "I hope you mattered to her Gigi." He stormed away and the rest of the team followed, no one daring to comment on Junior's awkward statement.

* * *

They swayed together to the beat, the bass thrumming through their bodies despite the extreme numbers of bodies between them and the speakers. He'd quit caring about how many people were at the club tonight the moment Katie walked up to him and pressed her body tightly against him to whisper hello to him over the music. He wasn't really sure how she'd become so important to him in such a small time. He'd only met her four months ago but he was starting to feel like he'd known her forever. It'd only been a month since Gigi's funeral but Katie's presence seemed to numb some of the loss. Tonight she kept sneaking smiles at him as if she was keeping a humorous secret. Curious, he bent down and kissed her quickly making her giggle.

"What's so funny?" he said directly in her ear, tickling the lobe with his breath.

"Nah. Dah," she slurred, more wasted than was normal for having a few drinks.

He felt her stumble slightly, causing him to spill some of his drink, "Woah shorty, you cool?"

Katie nodded, allowing her head to roll back and forth, the secret smile blooming over her face. Happily Jessie wrapped his arm around her a little tighter so he could support her body against his. Katie swayed into him, grabbing for his drink but he tilted her face up to meet his before she could take a sip.

"Shorty, slow down."

Katie's mouth pulled down into a pout and then she started blinking rapidly before the smile quickly returned to her face. She laughed, "I'm thirsty."

"I'll get you something less potent," he promised, pulling away. He started to walk away but felt her hold on to his elbow to follow him out of the crowd. Two stumbles and a splash of his drink on the floor later he found Katie a spot against the wall. "Here hold this while I go get you a drink, ok?" he told her, thrusting his drink into her hands. She smiled and nodded. "Don't drink it, shorty," he warned, more out of concern for her than greed for his drink.

He wove his way through the crowd of revelers, reaching the bar to request a glass of water for Katie. It took his ten minutes to return back to her and for a moment he watched as she let her head fall back while her body swayed to one side. He was contemplating taking her home to sleep it off when the DJ announced that the countdown would begin in another hour. One more hour and a new year would begin. He reached her, using one hand to tilt her face up. She smiled with her lids almost completely closed and pushed his drink towards him. He switched it with the glass of water, nudging it with his own glass to get her to drink.

"As soon as the ball drops we should go home," he breathed in her ear so she could hear him over the music. He felt her pouting against his ear in return.

"Drink up hunny, so we can have some fun."

Jessie noticed that her accent had gotten thicker, taking on a southern twang that he found extremely sexy. "You drink yours and I'll finish mine," he compromised. She tilted the glass to her lips and he took a large swallow of his drink. They finished and he began to weave his way towards the bar to deposit the glasses on their way toward the front door. He started to feel strange though as they reached the bar, feeling the world shift into sharp then blurry focus. He felt warm then very ticklish as Katie's hand slid up his back. He turned to look at her and the quick motion felt as if it took him several minutes.

Jessie knew he was high. He wasn't sure how it happened but he knew it for a fact as he watched the colors of the dance floor swirl around him an hour later. He felt hot, invincible, and very horny all at the same time. But in the forefront he was flipping out. Who had done this to him? He looked around to see if he could catch the culprit then paused as his hand reached out and caught Katie's. Her eyes were closed but he bet that if she opened her eyes they would be as dilated as his were. She was well aware that he didn't approve of the drugs she took to party but his love for her made him unwilling to let her go. She laughed at him, the sound feeling loud to his ears but looking as if it were riding on waves in the air. She tossed her head back to stare at the TV screen now showing a ball getting ready to drop. He couldn't hear her but he read her lips as she began to count backwards from ten…ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one… An eruption of sound startled him. There was shouting! Oh wait, it was officially the first minute of the New Year.

He felt her fling her arms around his neck and they kissed without skill or finesse. He though she would slip out of his arms which felt too clumsy to belong to his body.

"Happy four month anniversary hunny!"

"Happy New Year, shorty."

Despite being angry they kissed again. Jessie felt too furious to let her linger and yet he wanted to take her to bed right away. She sensed that he wasn't able to make up his mind so she pulled him along to the front of the club then out into the street. They stumbled to his apartment, the cold feeling good against his overheated skin. It took them a long time to open his door but when they closed it took little time to get undressed and have sex. Sometime afterward Jessie passed out but he woke hours later feeling jittery and sick beyond a hangover. Katie was lying next to him, her arms around herself.

"What did you slip me?" Jessie asked sure in the light of day that she'd provided whatever drug was now in his system.

"Oh," she whimpered, "I don't know, I don't know!"

He hated seeing her like that, trying desperately to come down from the additional drugs she needed to take to get a buzz. "Think Katie."

She whimpered then reached for him, "It was a cocktail he made special for me. Oh hunny," she cried, "I want to call him and ask."

Jessie translated it to mean that she wanted some more. He just wanted his stomach pumped or whatever the hospital could do to flush that crap out of his system. "This is so not cool Katie."

"I just wanted you to have a good time Jessie hunny." She sat up then started to fumble for her clothes. He knew she was going to scour the streets till she found her dealer and a quick fix. But he wasn't going to let her, not today. She'd drugged him and that had consequences. He got up too, pulling on clothes, looking for his wallet. He escorted her all the way to the hospital and requested they admit them both for being drugged. Then they sat in the waiting room for hours, slowly starting to deteriorate until they could be seen. Jessie had to file a police report which he knew they'd never look at. He was also given a list of rehab centers he could try. Guess they didn't believe he'd unwillingly been drugged. He waited two days then took Katie to one of the centers until she was admitted. While they waited she promised never to touch drugs again. And because he loved her, he believed her.

* * *

"Cory's doing summer vacation visitation in Vegas with his kids and I need to escape," Trix started without preamble when Jessie picked up the phone.

"And that's my issue because…" Jessie trailed off, pissed she woke him up. So what if it was one in the afternoon. He and Katie had celebrated well into daybreak and he was exhausted.

"I haven't seen you since November."

Jessie sighed, "And?"

"And, I want to meet the girl keeping you happy in Texas."

Jessie sat up quickly, letting Katie's arm slide off his back and flop onto the bed. He stared at her for a moment to check she was still asleep then walked into the living room, shutting the bedroom door behind him. "What are you yapping about?"

"You heard me," Trix countered shrewdly.

"Naw Trix, you can't come here," Jessie told her.

"Why not?"

"I can't get time off at work." The lie slipped from his lips quickly. It wasn't that he couldn't more that he didn't dare take time off work. He needed every extra dollar these days to pay down Katie's medical expenses and keep them fed.

"I didn't expect you to," she said flippantly, "I know how to entertain myself."

"Then why come here?"

Trix sighed deeply, "Did you practice a long time to get this stupid or…"

"Actually it took no time at all," Jessie countered grinning.

"Whatever jerk. I'll visit Jenna and ask her about your girlfriend instead."

Jessie laughed, "My mom knows less than you do."

"How do you think _I_ knew to ask you?" Trix countered.

Jessie scowled, "I've gotta go."

"Ha! Bye Jes." She hung up before he could reply, making him grin stupidly at his cell.

He heard the door open behind him so he whirled around, taking care to wipe the grin off his face. Katie rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand then yawned, pulling her body into an intense stretch. He noticed she'd gained a little of her weight back and he found her to be sexier than when she'd been ninety-eight pounds and high all the time. If she could stay sober, all his long hours at the garage would be worth it. Checking the clock he sighed, it was time to get ready for work. He and another guy were working from two to eight tonight to finish up some jobs so they could have Sunday off.

"Do me a favor Katie?" Jessie asked enveloping her in a hug.

"Uh-huh?" she drawled in her Texan accent.

"Be ready for round two when I get back," he replied suggestively, rubbing his hands all over her back. She nuzzled his neck and he let her go, afraid he'd never make it to work if she kept that up.

"Jessie hunny?" Katie called out as soon as he opened the door to the apartment that evening. He smiled, glad she was home. "Jessie?" she called out again and he followed her voice to the living room.

"Hey Katie," he told her, placing his hands on her shoulders. She smiled up at him and he kissed her.

"I didn't make dinner tonight. I figured we could go out?" she suggested and he sighed. She'd only been home a week and he wasn't ready to share her with the whole world just yet.

"We could order in?" he suggested instead.

"Jessie," she drawled out, "You know I have to leave the house sometime right?"

He frowned, "Yes."

She laughed lightly, a laugh that didn't make it from her lips to her eyes, "I didn't leave rehab to be a prisoner here."

Jessie enveloped her in a hug, "I know baby. I know. I just selfishly want you to myself a little longer," he told her. That was partly true. He really didn't want her to have another excuse to run into her old friends on the streets.

"You do have me to yourself," she said sullenly, "but I'm tired of being cooped up!"

Caving, Jessie kissed her lightly again, "Alright come on. Let's go out for dinner."

She turned making the kiss deeper and after a while it didn't matter that he'd agreed to go out. They ended up staying in all night anyway.

The two fell into an agreeable pattern and for a while Jessie was able to bury himself in life in Texas. Jessie worked hard at the garage, not bothering to explain himself to his parents when they asked him about plans to return home. Life in L.A. had gotten strained since Gigi's death and he was happy to stay a state away from the drama between Nikki and Junior. He'd had enough drama with Katie's parents after her return from rehab. Although he was the sole bread winner, having Katie at his place when he returned from work was worth it. She turned his hard work into a clean apartment, hot meals, and imaginative sex.

If anyone had asked if he was happy overall he would have quickly assented but there was one nagging rain cloud that began casting rain to overshadow it. Katie seemed ok with their arrangement at first but as the weeks began to pass, she slowly started becoming more anxious. She'd wake in the middle of the night and pace restlessly. She began to go to the grocery store and "forget" to bring home part of the items on the list. One night Jessie offered to pick the items up, requesting the money from her, which ended up in a shouting match because she didn't have any money left. Katie began leaving the apartment all day, returning long after Jessie had come home. On the occasions he'd find her at home, she'd be passed out. The apartment soon became a place that he wouldn't know if it was clean enough to invite anyone over. The mention of a support group or rehab would start a fight. He was ready to do anything to help her, knowing that she had slowly slipped back into getting high but wasn't sure how to do it without her losing her temper. That's why he was surprised to walk into the apartment one day in June to find pizza, beer, a clean apartment, and Katie.

"Hi hunny," she greeted him sweetly, rushing forward to take his hands so he could be dragged to the couch.

"Shorty, I need a shower," Jessie protested immediately, feeling the grime and sweat of the day sticking to his clothes and skin.

She didn't let his words faze her, instead moving her hands to his shirt to remove it then his pants. Jessie closed his eyes as she dragged him to the bathroom, turning on the shower then waited patiently as she playfully ran her hands along his sides. She whispered for him to hurry before she turned and left him alone to clean up. As soon as the water hit him in the face he began to lather up, all the while the tingles of some unknown feeling ran up and down his spine. His hope said it was nervous excitement, his doubt said it was impending doom. Really, the sudden change in her behavior was causing anxiety and fear. Deciding that it would be best to figure out what Katie was up to, he got dressed quickly, returning to the living room to see it lit with only the lights of the television.

Katie held up a plate with a slice of pizza on it, offering it to him with a lopsided smile. Jessie took it from her and sat on the couch, careful to wrap an arm around her shoulders without confining her arms. They ate quietly as the sounds of one of his favorite shows created background noise. He watched her taking dainty bites from her slice while stealing glances at the guys on the screen working through a car rebuild. He knew she hated this show and his unease increased. Sensing his eyes on her, she looked up and smiled.

"Are you thirsty?" she asked, setting aside the barely touched pizza and reaching for one of the beers strewn on the coffee table. She twisted the cap off before replacing Jessie's plate with the bottle. He placed the bottle on the table, turning his body to face hers fully on the couch.

"What's up Katie?"

"Nothing yet," she replied huskily. She leaned in to kiss him but he caught her at the last moment, wrapping her up in a hug. He heard her give an annoyed huff.

"Katie…"

She pushed against him, "What's wrong Jessie?"

He shook his head, grabbing the beer and taking a long swig, "Nothing. I'm just not in the mood."

"What for pizza? Or for me?" she said icily.

"Shorty," he began, feeling his unease give away to annoyance. He did not want to fight tonight. Before he could get out his next words though, his cell rang. He was going to let it ring to voice mail but Katie picked it up, giving a sneer at the screen before she tossed it at him.

"You better pick up before she calls again," Katie spat out. Before he could, the call ended. He opened the call log to see he'd already missed Trix twice while in the shower. Great, now he'd have to deal with Katie's paranoia about Trix in addition to whatever was making her angry tonight. He grabbed his phone and his beer, taking care to finish it quickly as he headed towards their bedroom. He was going to throw on some clothes and see if Kyle or one of the other guys wanted to hang out for a while. Katie followed him, standing in the doorway, holding another beer.

He thought she was angry but the contrite voice that she used threw him off guard, "Hunny, I was hoping I could talk to you for a minute."

Jessie watched her take a sip of her beer before placing it on the dresser. She walked over to him, pressing him back until his legs hit the bed. "I'm not interested tonight Katie."

"I know. But I'm tired of being stuck here," she complained, "I wanna go out."

"No." Jessie's sharp response wiped the sweetness out of her face and tone.

"No? NO!" she shouted, "I bet if I was that little trick you'd go."

Jessie pushed her out of his way with his body, stalking over to the dresser. He was not going to fight with her about Trix, not tonight. She wasn't taking the hint though. She stood behind him and began slapping his back.

"You're cheating, I know it! I know it Jessie. You can't hide this from me! I know it!" He sighed bracing one hand against the dresser, letting her slaps turn into punches. "You're no different than my parents. Always trying to control me, never letting me go anywhere!" She kept pounding and his back became numb. He grabbed for her beer, drinking deeply enough to drain it in two swallows as she kept hitting him. After she realized he wasn't putting up a fight, she grabbed his wallet from the dresser, taking all the loose bills inside. The leather hit his shoulder and a few tense moments later, she was out of the apartment for what he knew was going to be a trip to her dealer.

Jessie stared at himself in the mirror for a long moment, feeling himself warming up, despite the cold feeling in his chest. And then he felt dizziness wash over him. He looked at the bottle then up at his eyes as they dilated. Shit. She'd laced her beer with whatever cocktail she was probably out to score now that he'd ingested it. Angry and miserable, Jessie walked back to the living room, popping the top of another beer. He might as well drink since he was already messed up.

"Mother F Katie! What have you fuckin' done to me?" Jessie yelled out, his body shaking as he lay in bed, shivering though it was balmy in the apartment. Some part of his rational brain told him that Katie was long gone but he couldn't think straight. His body was currently revolting against him. He knew it could be much worse. He'd seen her go through much worse. He curled into a ball as another convulsion ripped through him and he cried out, cursing his girlfriend. Later he would yell at himself for putting himself in this position but right now he was having trouble blaming anyone but her. If only he could sleep the sickness away. Unfortunately it didn't work that way. Not when his body was resisting, begging him to call Katie and request a pill or some powder to take off the edge. So he lay there suffering, waiting for a moment when he would be lucid enough to take a brief nap, knowing that until it was all out of his system he'd be stuck between wanting sleep and being unable to fulfill his desire.

At some point the shrill ring of his cell was both welcome and annoying. That meant he hadn't broken it when he'd thrown it across the room in one of his fits of misery and pain. The fact that he could register clearly meant that he was almost completely done with the scariest part of his withdrawal. He didn't bother opening his eyes when the phone started ringing again, feeling too weak to find it and silence it. When he heard familiar voices coming from the hallway of his apartment he thought he was hallucinating again. Only when the voices felt like they were on top of him did he start crying.

"Please stop!" he said weeping, afraid that the pain in his stomach and body was about to return.

"What the fuck did you take?" Ryan asked Jessie, looking at the demolished bedroom. Clothes were strewn all over, the sheets no longer on the bed. A trashcan was filled with vomit and there was evidence that much of it had not made it into the receptacle. The young man currently huddled on the edge of the bed crying looked like he hadn't washed in days.

Casche walked to stand over the bed holding Jessie, not bothering to take care when he used two fingers to pull the lid of Jessie's left eye apart so the kid could see they were really there. He'd been pissed yesterday when his little sister Trix had called upset that Jessie had yelled at her over the phone but didn't seem to know who she was. Casche had believed that Jessie had probably been drunk at the time, but Trix mentioned that her gut made her feel it was more serious than that. It was only when Trix threatened to drive the fourteen hours from Las Vegas that Casche had given in, roping Ryan to ride with him so they could trade off making the eighteen hour trip from Los Angeles. Seeing Jessie that way made him both angry and glad that he listened to his sister.

"Casche?" Jessie whispered pitifully.

Ryan stepped over a pile of sheets and laundry to look the younger man in the eye, "When's the last time you had a hit?"

Jessie let his eye focus on Ryan then back at Casche. "What day…"

"Tuesday," Ryan replied.

Jessie let his mind roam back, "Sunday night."

Casche shook his head then released Jessie's eyelids so he could grab the kid by his arm. Jessie started to protest but Casche growled, "Time to clean up." Jessie barely kept up as Casche dragged him to the bathroom to grab cleaning supplies. By the time they returned to the bedroom, Ryan had opened the windows and cleared off a space on the dresser to sit. Casche and Ryan watched Jessie stumble throughout the room, picking up clothes, clearing up empty beer bottles, and wiping up vomit. It took the kid hours to straighten up and a few trips to the bathroom to empty his stomach of bile. Once satisfied they allowed him to shower and brush his aching teeth. It was only when he was finally clean that they took pity on him and let him sit in an arm chair in the living room.

Ryan broke the silence first, "So where can we go to eat?" Jessie shook his head. He didn't want to leave his apartment. Casche cracked his knuckles and Ryan cleared his throat, "Let me rephrase: where are we going to eat?"

Jessie took a moment to gaze into Casche's irate face knowing that if he didn't feed the man soon the punishment would be worse. "There's a…" for a moment he fought for a place that wouldn't make him feel sick to his stomach, "sandwich shop a few streets over."

Casche nodded his approval and the three men walked to the sandwich shop, Jessie feeling worn out by the time they made it there. They ordered then sat down in a booth near the back, Jessie next to Ryan so Casche would have enough room to eat his sandwich without hindrance. Jessie picked at his sandwich willing the food to stay down, lagging behind his cousins as they made it back to his apartment. All Jessie could think about was lying down as they rode the elevator back to his floor. The doors popped open and he started to beeline for the door but stopped short at the woman standing at his door, nervously deciding whether to use her key to enter.

"Katie," he called out, sounding much louder than he meant to. She turned with her mouth hanging wide open.

"Gawd! I was afraid you were dead!" Katie drawled her '_you' _sounding drawn out as usual. Her eyes widened as she took in Casche's menacing face and Ryan's tall frame next to him.

"So you were trying to kill me by lacing that beer with…" Jessie ground out but he couldn't finish because one of his neighbors opened the door to leave. For a moment his neighbor looked curiously at the three men in the hallway, one practically towering over the shocked looking woman. He gave Jessie a head nod then continued forward, deciding to take the stairs rather than wait for the elevator just in case things got serious.

"Let's go inside," Ryan told him, placing a restraining hand on Jessie's shoulder. Jessie pulled his key out of Katie's slack fingers, opened the door then shoved her in before them. Katie rounded on him the moment the door was closed.

"Now Jessie hunny," she said placing a hand on his chest, "I know I made a mistake…"

"Mistake Katie?" Jessie yelled shaking her, "You almost killed me! I've been coming down off that shit for days!"

"I know and I'm sorry. I thought that if you were… if you just tried it…"

"Hold up," Ryan said, his eyes narrowing even though he'd already taken a step forward intent on making Jessie release the woman shaking in his hands, "What did you do to him?"

Katie looked at the brown-haired man whose curly hair made him look like a surfer, "I bought some special beer," she turned her tear filled eyes to Jessie, "I just wanted you to feel as good as I do."

Ryan looked disgustedly at the woman, wishing they could do a little more than shake her. "So you drugged my cousin."

She started crying in earnest, "I wanted him to relax! But I am so sorry," she wailed, "I am so sorry Jes. You know I'm sick. Help me! Won't you help me?" She let her knees buckle, trying to lay herself at Jessie's feet but he held her arms and she was left dangling until he dropped her.

Jessie's voice turned morose, "Fuck you Katie!"

"No!" she choked out, still wailing, "Please hunny. Don't stop lovin' me!" She crawled slightly forward, pulling her arms around his legs, letting her head rest on his thighs. "Please Jes, just tell me you love me and I swear…I swear I'll stop. Just please…"

Jessie looked down at her, his heart breaking. He hadn't known in the beginning when he was falling in love with her that she was a…a…the word '_junkie'_ hurt him. Yes, he was angry that she had slipped him drugs for a second time. But he looked at her and felt himself desperately wanting to scoop her up and stop her from hurting. He'd done it before but with Casche and Ryan standing there he didn't know what to do.

Casche growled out, disgusted with the scene playing out in front of him. Jessie was caving after this chick had drugged him? Jessie at twenty-one was eight years younger than Casche so sometimes Casche forgot to treat him like a man. He felt it coming now, the urge to tell Jessie what to do building to a breaking point. Before it could happen though, Jessie surprised him.

"I love you Katie but you have to get out." Jessie started to pull her arms off him and she let go, cleaning her face on the back of her sleeve.

"You forgive me?" she asked childishly.

Jessie closed his eyes, pain and defeat in his voice, "Yes but I need you to dry out."

"Will you help me?" she continued petulantly. Jessie sighed deeply before stalking to his bedroom for his car keys.

Ryan spoke up, "Where'd think you're going?"

Jessie grabbed Katie's arm hauling her up, "To the hospital till they admit her or a clinic opens. Whichever comes first."

* * *

"So I was thinking about a new tattoo," Trix told him in a rush.

Jessie shook his head, "Damn girl, do you have any bare skin left?" He waited a few seconds then added, "Stop sticking your tongue out at me."

Trix laughed, "You like it."

"You know it." Jessie turned the corner, his apartment in sight. He yawned, weariness over his grueling work schedule catching up to him. He was looking forward to an extra hour of sleep between his job at the night club and his job at the garage. He wasn't surprised Trix was up at four in the morning. She often kept the same hours as her DJ husband Cory.

"Jessie, when are you coming back to Cali?"

"Not sure. Leo's…and Katie she…." Jessie faltered unsure how to explain his hesitancy to bring Katie within a one hundred mile radius of the rest of his family. He was suspicious that she was slipping back into her old destructive habits.

Trix said quietly, "At this rate, I'll have no unmarked skin left when next we meet."

"Stop talkin' to Bree. You're getting so dramatic." He yawned again as he started up the stairs to the apartment rather than risk the ride in the elevator and losing his cell signal.

"Get some sleep cranky." Trix hung up before he could respond which wasn't odd.

Jessie got to the landing before pausing at his door. He couldn't hear sound through the door so he might get that sleep that his body desperately wanted. Quietly as possible he unlocked the door then walked over to turn on the living room light. It took him seconds to notice the three beer bottles on the table. Before he could process what that could possibly mean, the door to his bedroom opened. Out stumbled two men. Both were scruffy but the first smirked as he zipped up his pants. The second pulled a small plastic bag out of his pocket using two fingers to pass it to Katie. Katie who's shaky hands eagerly grabbed the small bag, not bothering to fully close her robe.

The first guy smirked at Jessie causing the dealer to laugh, "Buddy she's all yours." They sauntered past, not bothering to be quiet when shutting the door. Any good feelings Jessie had about Katie died in that moment. His anger was blocking his ability to speak coherently. She'd had those guys in his apartment, screwed them and took their drugs, with Leo sleeping a room away.

Katie walked towards him, arms outstretched. "Hunny? Jessie?"

He shook his head and rubbed his hands over his face. He could smell the slight sweat coming off her skin. Repulsed he stepped away. "Don't touch."

Her lips started to tremble as she stumbled forward pleading, "Jessie please."

"Get out," he told her stepping back as her fingers brushed his shirt. She mumbled again and he screamed, "GET OUT!"

"You won't leave me," Katie yelled.

"GET OUT! Take your drugs and leave!"

Katie's face changed. She was close to the coffee table and a half full bottle of beer whizzed past his head. "You're not leaving me! You're not LEAVING ME!" She started screaming at the top of her lungs, barely drowning out Leo's frantic cries. The next bottle smashed to the floor near his toes startling him to step back then rush to the side, running towards Leo's bedroom as she continued to throw anything within her reach. She got him with a few coasters and a paperweight to the back. He was able to lock the bedroom door against her and heard something smash against it seconds later. She kept screaming but the individual words were hard to hear between Leo's sobs. He cradled Leo to his chest, rocking the boy until the pounding on the door started.

"Jessie I need you," she called out slapping the door with her open palms. "Jessie! Jessie! Jessie! Oh Jessie!"

"Shhh," he whispered to Leo who was still wailing but his little body was unable to keep up the manic cries for long.

"I'm a horrible mom," she wailed. "Take him and get away from me!"

She continued to bang on the door, calling out to them to run away. For the first time in a long while Katie was making sense to him. Jessie put Leo back in his crib then started scrambling around the room, packing the baby bag, readying them to go. Eventually, just as he expected, the banging on the door died down. He heard his bedroom door close and he knew that the outbursts were over. Katie would console herself with whatever drug she'd worked for tonight. He waited until the sun began to rise before strapping Leo into his carrier. Then slowly, carefully, he unlocked the door and peeked into the hallway now littered with debris. He didn't hear any movement so he picked up the bag and the carrier, walking swiftly out of the apartment. Taking the stairs so he could move quickly he finally made it to his car, strapping Leo in less than a minute and driving down the street to the garage. He was supposed to be going to fix cars but now he was unsure what he was doing. Jessie pulled into the driveway of the garage, his boss already opening the big bay doors.

"Jessie, you're early," George called out. He noticed the tired circles under the kid's eyes and the car seat in the back. He knew the kid had big problems at home and now it seemed like those problems were going to lose him a good mechanic.

Jessie got out of the car to close the space between them, "George, I came to say goodbye."

The older man nodded sympathetically. "Wait here a second." George was back in under two minutes, stuffing a wad of cash into Jessie's hands. "Anytime you need a job…"

"Thanks man." Jessie returned to the car, pointing it in the direction of the home he'd left over four years prior.

Jessie lay against the scratchy cot, staring at the ceiling of the jail cell he'd been placed in two hours ago. For the third time that night he started replaying the events that had led him to take Katie's advice to take their son and go. He should have known better. She'd been strung out when she told him to take the boy. And of course when she'd woken up hours later needing her next fix, she'd called the cops to say he'd stolen their kid.

He sighed. Katie wasn't a bad person, deep, deep, real deep down. She was just a sick person, unable to say no to a hit. For a moment he thought about Leo, their tiny son, and the burden placed on his shoulders. Katie had gotten clean for his sake, stayed clear of her dealer throughout the pregnancy, pretended to play house with Jessie. She seemed happy that Jessie had committed to stay in Texas near her family and the college where they met. He did it so she could finish her degree to get her life back on track. But all that came crashing down two months after Leo had been born.

She'd run into the dealer who was happy to see she'd cleaned up. So much so, he offered her a quick hit for the road. In less than an hour she was hooked again. Jessie had come home to see her lying on the couch, spent needle on the coffee table, the baby still strapped in the stroller. Jessie had known the best thing to do would be to leave but he hadn't. Katie had woken up crying, begged him to help her get better and the cycle began. Drugs then drying out. Drying out then drugs. He'd get angry enough to leave and she'd cry for help. He tried sending her to rehab again, the bill so expensive that he started working nights to help pay for it. He called her parents to ask them to help but they told him that it was his problem.

Jessie's mind replayed the scene from that morning when he left with the clothes on his back and his son in the backseat. He hadn't thought to be cautious when the cop pulled him over. He'd even been surprised when the cop then proceeded to cuff him when he found Leo in the back seat, the license confirming his identity. Jessie shook his head. Kidnapping. He remembered Tony's words two hours ago during his one phone call, _'Thank God it wasn't across state lines.'_ Jessie was sad. How could they think that he was stealing his own child? Unfortunately it happened too often these days so the cops had reason to question, reason to want to make sure that wasn't really the case. No one would tell him what would happen to Leo and after being placed in the cell, there wasn't an opportunity to ask again.

Jessie prepared himself for a long night. Nothing could be solved until offices opened and the proper paperwork could be produced. He was surprised in the morning to find he had two visitors. Since this was a small jail, a cop led them back into the holding area to talk to Jessie between the bars. Tony O'Connor looked alert but rumpled in his suit, his tie missing and top button of his shirt undone. Trix looked tired and anxious but she gave him a wan smile.

Jessie coughed to clear his throat, "What are you doing here?"

"Saving your ass," Trix quipped. Tony nodded.

"How did you…" Jessie was at a loss. Tony was supposed to be in Seattle with his wife Alicia and his son Tony the Third for some gathering of Alicia's family.

"Well I was able to get a quick flight to Vegas and Trix offered to drive me here," Tony explained. Jessie was amazed. They'd driven fourteen hours from Vegas to make it there by morning. No wonder Trix looked tired.

"Where's Leo?" Jessie asked.

Tony shook his head, "He's with social services right now. Apparently his mother is having a transportation issue." Jessie noticed how Tony didn't say Katie's name. "Jessie, I have to know what happened."

So Jessie explained the story. Coming home to find Katie selling her body for drugs. Leaving yesterday morning with Leo. The cop pulling him over. Kidnapping. They told him he was a kidnapper. How they wouldn't answer his questions regarding the welfare of his son. Tony took notes his face professionally aloof, not making judgments.

"Let me work on getting you released," Tony finally told him.

"Tony I don't care about that. I just want to know Leo's safe," Jessie said staring the older man in the eye. Tony nodded then he and Trix went to discuss Jessie's release with the cops.

Four hours and one hundred grand later Jessie was sitting in an old school diner a few blocks from the police station. Tony had his notebook out and was making phone calls trying to get Leo released into Jessie's custody. Jessie pushed his fries absently around his plate.

"So Jessie, are you ever coming back to L.A.?" Trix's question brought Jessie's eyes to hers. He hadn't been home since he returned to Texas for his sophomore semester of school. He'd meant to pack his bags and return to L.A. but things with Katie had been shitty at best so there was always some reason for him to stay. Now with his son Leo possibly being stuck in this state with Katie he knew he would never leave.

Instead he said something smart ass, "Did you not hear me say I was heading that way when I got locked up?"

Trix shrugged, "I meant permanently dipshit."

Jessie looked at her no longer feeling pangs of resentment that she'd turned out to be close enough to being related to him that a relationship with her hadn't been possible. He actually enjoyed being best friends with her instead which meant he could tell that she was really asking if this was the final time he would be leaving Katie.

"I want to," he said quietly. He didn't need to say anymore. There was a reason Trix and Cory lived in Vegas instead of Cali. Cory had two boys from a previous relationship that he wanted to stay close to. They lived in Vegas so the boys could attend the same school even though they spent alternate weeks with each parent, so Cory could be an integral part of their lives. Trix would understand best why he may be stuck in Texas forever.

Tony looked at his watch, "Uh huh. We'll be by within the hour with the paperwork." He snapped his phone closed then made eye contact with Jessie. "We need to go to the police station to pick up Leo."

Jessie immediately stood up and the waitress rushed over to furnish the check. Tony handed her some bills then told her to keep the change so they could leave right away. On the walk back to the police station Jessie couldn't contain his excitement and concern.

"So can I take him home with me?" Tony nodded slowly and Jessie stopped short. "What's wrong Tony?"

Tony assessed the stressed look in Jessie's eyes, "Are you and Katie going to reconcile?"

The question was fair. Jessie had gone back and forth too many times in the last two years for it to be certain that he wouldn't end right back at the beginning. "Dude, I slept on a cot in _JAIL_."

Tony continued to stare at Jessie but Trix finally broke the silence, "That sounds like you're saying no."

"Hell yeah, I'm not going back if I can help it," Jessie added vehemently, "So can I help it Tony?"

Tony nodded and the trio began walking again. "Jessie, I think you should talk to Leon. You're going to need his help."

Jessie grimaced, "You mean I'm going to need more money." Jessie was afraid to ask his father how he got the money to put up his bail in cash without resorting to a bail bondsman.

"You want Jessie to _pay_ Katie to give up custody?" Trix asked angrily. They could tell that she was disgusted not because they would pay, but because she knew that Katie would be willing to sell her kid for money to keep her in her drug of choice.

"Yes."

"But why if the courts can see that she's unfit?"

Tony frowned, "Because it could easily get ugly and take a lot of time to clear up. A judge could grant her time to clean up her act, refuse to let Leo leave the state, or any number complications."

Jessie ran a hand through his hair as they entered the police station. He wouldn't be willing to chance it if he could help it. He'd have to talk to his father when he got home anyway so he'd just tack on a request to add to his massive I.O.U.

Leon sat at the table hand in hand with Jenna, the suit feeling less uncomfortable than it had on his way into this mediation. Tony had been adamant that they dress the part. After all, they didn't need awkward questions about where the money was coming from. It would be better if Katie and her lawyer thought assumed that they were from money, rather than get suspicious if they showed up in jeans and t-shirts. He took a moment to look at his son. The last time he'd seen Jessie in person had been at Gigi's funeral. The suit he'd worn then looked just as odd on him then as it was now. Hell the look on Jessie's face was almost the same: lost, angry, tired, and sad. The only difference now was Jessie's eyes were trained on the young woman sitting across the table from them. She was dressed up, hair pulled back into a severe bun. There was an attempt at class that was marred by the tears escaping her eyes, the pinched skin in her face, and her shaking hands clasped on the table.

"I think you'll find our offer more than fair given the circumstances," Tony supplied calmly, slipping the paperwork across the table to Katie's legal counsel.

"Are you kidding me?" the guy responded in disgust. "You can do better than that."

Tony maintained his aloofness, "This is the best and final offer. I'd advise your client to consider it."

"Consider what? You want her to give up her parental rights for ten grand? She'd get more going to court and requesting child support."

"She can't go to court and you know it," Tony countered.

The attorney shook his head, starting to shuffle papers and stand. "Come on Katelyn, we're done here."

"Katie," Jessie called out, his eyes still on her face. She looked up at him and the tears started to fall.

"I'm sorry hunny I really am," she whispered.

Jessie stood up, his hand smacking the table top with such force it startled everyone in the room, "No! You're not sorry. If you were you'd let me take Leo."

"I…"

Her attorney seemed to catch his composure, "Come on, let's go. This meeting is over."

Jessie wasn't finished, "He deserves better. I deserve better. And you don't want better. You never want to get better."

Katie's mouth flew open, "That's not true! I always get better, don't I? I always try!"

"And how long does it last Katie? How long?"

Tony put a restraining hand on his cousin's shoulder. The yelling wouldn't help them mount a case later on that Jessie was the more stable parent. Jessie sat down, his eyes hard. Katie's attorney smiled.

"You seriously think a judge is going to let a guy who can't control his temper have full custody?"

Jessie spat out tiredly, "You believe a strung out junkie is better?"

The guy had the grace to look startled, "What?"

Tony looked into the attorney's face, seeing the shock of confusion there. He hadn't known. "What did you think was wrong with her?"

Katie frowned, "That's not true."

The attorney looked at Katie long and hard, "Excuse me, I need a moment with my client."

"Don't worry, take all the time you need," Tony replied starting to pack his briefcase and standing, "The deals off the table. We'll see how this play's in court."

Leon could tell that Tony wasn't bluffing like the other attorney had been moments before. He, Jenna and Jessie stood in preparation of leaving the conference room.

"Wait!" Katie called out desperately, still wringing her shaking hands, "I want to take it."

"You realize that you'll lose all rights to your son right? You won't see him again," Tony stated.

"Yes," Katie replied quietly.

Tony pulled out the papers and they watched as Katie signed away her only child for ten grand. Jessie cynically thought how that money would be up her nose and in her veins before the day was over.

"Do me a favor," Tony told Jessie the following day as he slapped a copy of the agreement in the younger man's hands, "Keep it on you."

Jessie nodded before walking towards his parents, both leaning casually against his father's car. "Um, so I'll just follow you?"

Jenna looked over at her husband, hoping he would respond in a way that wouldn't have them arguing the whole way home. Leon cleared his throat, "You better. You owe me a shit load of money."

Jessie hugged them both then went back to his car to drive himself, Tony, and Leo back to LA. He smiled to himself when they crossed the state border. Now as they began to see the city lights of Los Angeles, his smile started to falter. Tony who'd been quiet most of the trip noticed.

"What's wrong Jes?"

It took Jessie a few false starts and the turning up of his mouth before he could articulate what had piqued his curiosity, "Where did my dad get all that money?"


End file.
